An Adventure to Find Home
by AMSaylor
Summary: After 32 years, the world has changed, even in the past. When a touring student falls down the old Higurashi well & ends up in Feudal Japan, will she be able to discover the reason for her transportation? Sesshomaru may not like it, but will he be able to accept the fact that he needs her? In order to save the world, they must examine everything they've ever known. (Sesshomaru/OC)
1. Chapter 1 - A Familiar Beginning

**Chapter 1: A Familiar Beginning**

**Author's Note: This is the first time that I have uploaded any of my writing to a site. I would greatly appreciate reviews and comments. I promise to take them into consideration. I would really like to improve my writing and what better way than peer-review? The story begins 32 years after Kagome has graduated and returned to the Feudal Era to remain with Inuyasha.**

* * *

"Hey Ren! Hurry up! I want to get to _see_ the shrine before it gets dark!" Sara yelled from the top of the stairs. Ren gave one final look around the street before she ran up the stairs. Sara, Jordan, and Beth had already started towards the main house. Ren had to admit that the place was beautiful, even more so than the other numerous places she had been dragged to over the last week with her classmates. She never should have let them talk her into this trip, but they had done so much to ensure that she'd be able to come – fundraising for the money to go, asking her bosses for a weeks' leave to let her fly to Japan. She'd been so surprised that she hadn't been able to come up with a cogent argument to not come, not that she wasn't enjoying herself. She just wasn't an adventurous person.

She caught up to the other girls just as an older man stepped out the house to greet them. All four bowed to the gentleman and he gave a slight bow back. Sara looked to Ren to start the conversation. Ren had always done better in her Japanese class than the others and they used it as an excuse to make her speak to more strangers, even though Ren told them (repeatedly) that most of the people spoke English as well. Ren took a step forward as she introduced her friends and then herself, and asked for room and board for the night. The man graciously invited them into his home, adding that after he showed them their rooms, they should feel free to look around the shrine.

As he led them inside and upstairs, he kept up a running conversation with Ren, mostly about the history of the shrine. Ren was distracted, looking at all of the pictures hanging on the wall as they walked past. She saw what must have the host as a young boy standing with his sister, mother, and grandfather in front of the shrine. There were many pictures of him and the young girl but she didn't see any of her as she got older. The older pictures included the host as he grew up, with his wife, then their children and more family portraits, but the sister was missing from the rest of the pictures, just as the mother and grandfather faded out of the pictures. Something must have happened to her, Ren thought sadly. The young girl looked so happy, especially in the last picture of her – a large one of her high school graduation.

Just then the host interrupted her reflections by touching her shoulder and pointing at the last room. She noticed that all of the other girls had already been given their rooms and were getting ready to explore the shrine. She politely bowed but asked quickly as he turned away, "I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name."

"I apologize. My name is Sota." And with that he turned and headed back down the stairs.

* * *

After dinner, all of the girls sat in the living room as Sota told them tales that he'd been told by his grandfather. He laughed about all of the times his grandfather would swear about some demon-inhabited object and would be slapping sutras on everything in sight. Altogether, the evening was spent enjoyably by all. After a time, the girls excused themselves since they were flying home the next day and wanted to make sure they could get up early enough. Each of the girls called out goodnight as they split off to their own rooms.

Ren entered her room last, giving a small smile. She was happy to be going home, back to her old, ordinary life. Japan was nice, but it wasn't her. She lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling, thinking about her life back in the US. She had carved out a spot for herself there. Even after her parents had died, she had managed to stay out of the foster system, maintained school and two jobs to pay for the tiny apartment that she had. It may be hard at times, but it was all hers. She fell asleep, dreaming about her home.

* * *

Something woke her up. She sat up, cocking her head to the side to try and hear it again. There it was again, but it wasn't a sound, more like a pull. She slid her legs out from under the covers and stood up, looking around her room. Nothing seemed out of place, but there was something nagging at her. She went to the window and leaned out slightly, looking around. She didn't see anything, but just as she was pulling herself back inside, she caught a glimmer. Something had sparkled out there. She looked out, trying to see it again. Just as she was turning her head to the right, she saw it again. It looked to be coming from a large well house. She stole one more look then made up her mind. It would drive her mad if she didn't find out what it was, so she slowly tiptoed down the hall, pausing to make sure that she wasn't waking any of the other girls up.

She was all the way down the stairs and almost out the door before she remembered her shoes. She quickly slipped them on and stepped into the cool night air. She made her way over to the well house, relaxing in the silence. She felt at peace here. Ren slowed down as she approached the well house. She didn't see anything that might have sparkled at her. She ascended the stairs and peeked inside. She saw something lying on the floor near the well inside. She gently pulled on the door to see if it would slide open. It moved noiselessly, so she added a little more force to open it enough for her to slip inside.

The moonlight spotlighted the item that had caught her attention. It shimmered in the light as she picked it up. It was a small, reflective piece of metal, mostly round. Ren looked around to see if she could find where it came from, but the well house was completely empty except for the giant hole in the center for the well.

Ren moved a little closer, putting her hands on the lip. She leaned forward slightly to get a better look, peering down into the darkness inside the well. She heard a loud crack and suddenly found her body falling forward. She scrambled to grab onto the lip to prevent it, but it was already past her reach. She tumbled head first into the well. She closed her eyes in preparation for the collision, but she never felt the hit that knocked her out.


	2. Chapter 2 - An Unexpected Discovery

**Chapter 2: An Unexpected Discovery**

**Author's Note: While demonic aging was never clarified, I have guesstimated approximate ages. I'm hoping that this isn't going to be too slow for you guys to follow. I have a general idea of where the story is going, but all the specifics are left up to the characters to decide. I really want to make sure that my characters are well grounded before throwing them into hectic situations, especially with so many OC. Again, reviews are always appreciated. If you have any specifics that you'd like to suggest, I am more than open to them.**

* * *

"Ugh….my head is killing me." Ren slowly sat up, gingerly reaching up to her head. She felt a large bump just under the skin. Her hand traveled down to her forehead where a large gash was. She brought her hand back down and noticed that it had some blood, but not enough from a gash that big to be fresh. "I must have been out for a while." She slowly stood up, leaning against the wall to help fight off the dizziness. Looking around, she wasn't able to see many details, it was too dark. She slid her hand around the wall, hoping to find some type of ladder to help her climb out. She had made a full rotation when her hand landed on a sturdy vine. "Well, if there's no ladder…" She took a tight grip on the vine and began half walking, half climbing out of the well.

Just as she was grabbing the lip of the well to pull herself up, she glanced up and almost lost her grip. "Stars?" she whispered, taking a look at the night sky, "but the well was inside…" A breeze ruffled her hair, bringing the smell of a warm summer's night. With wide eyes, Ren took in her surroundings. There were trees surrounding her, a field of soft grass all around the well. She slowly swung her legs over the well lip, and stepped gingerly down onto the grass. Something wasn't right here.

"Just think logically, Ren, there must be some logical explanation for this." She closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing mind. Taking deep breathes, Ren gradually slowed her heart down, but the combination of the meditation and warm summer air made her very drowsy, and she promptly fell asleep.

* * *

Inuyasha's ears perked up. He had been playing a children's game that Kagome had taught Jiro and Kikyo long ago. Jiro and Kikyo were lying on their stomachs, flicking marbles in and out of a circle drawn in the dirt.

"Daddy? It's your turn, Daddy" Jiro tugged on Inuyasha's sleeve to get his attention.

"What is it, Father?" young Kikyo asked. She was watching him closely, and noticed that his eyes had a far off look. He was staring off into the distance, towards the forest, where the well was. The well was a place of great mystery and adventure for the children. At one time or another, each had made an exploration, usually in pairs.

"Jiro, Kikyo, go inside to your mother," Inuyasha spoke quietly, standing up quickly and heading towards the forest. Jiro and Kikyo exchanged the _look_, the look that meant "Daddy's lost it again." They gathered up their marbles and headed back home.

* * *

Inuyasha had felt it, that familiar surge of energy that had only ever come from one source. The well. He stretched his senses to hear anything unusual, but there was nothing. A tug on his sleeve broke his concentration. He looked down at Jiro, realizing that he'd been asked a question. It was shortly followed by a question from Kikyo. He couldn't bring them along, not knowing why the well had suddenly activated after 30 odd years. He wasn't going to risk his children accidently falling through the well and being lost to them…Kagome would kill him.

He sent the children home and headed towards the well. As he reached the outer ring of trees, he stopped behind the last one, and took a deep breath. He smelled the natural smells of the forest, but there was a distinct but light smell of fresh cherry blossoms. There were no cherry blossom trees anywhere near. He stepped around the tree and stealthily headed towards the well. Something wasn't right, but he couldn't pinpoint it. The closer he got to the well, the stronger the smell of cherry blossoms was. Then he saw her.

Just leaning back against the edge of the well was a young woman, little older than Kagome had been when she first arrived. Light brown hair was cut short, ending just above her shoulders, but covering her face. She seemed to be asleep. Her clothes were unusual, reminiscent of Kagome's old clothes, except much less revealing." She must be from the future, too," Inuyasha thought, "but, what to do? Leave her, wake her, or just take her. Kagome will want to speak with her, find out what happened to let her come through."

With his mind decided, now he only needed to decide whether to wake her or not. He took one more glance at the girl. She seemed dead to the world. As he approached closer, he noticed her barely imperceptible breathing. It was much slower than just sleeping, almost as if she was under a spell. He lightly touched her shoulder, prepared to pull back at the slightest motion on her part, but nothing. He gently scooped her up into his arms, causing her hair to fall away from her face. He gave a second, longer scrutiny of her face. Her face was pale, too pale. There was a long gash across her forehead and a large bump on her head. He needed to get her back to Kagome immediately. He moved quickly, trying to ensure that his movements would not jostle the girl.

* * *

"Momma? Daddy sent us back home. We didn't even finish our game!" Jiro came in complaining. Kagome was sitting by the window, sipping her tea, and looked up at her children. Jiro looked so much like his father, little white puppy ears and white tresses, but cut short and put in a ponytail. Golden eyes sparkled with annoyance.

"Jiro, you know that it must have been very important if Daddy had to interrupt your game. I'm sure that he'll explain as soon as he gets back," Kagome reassured.

"Jiro, it's not like you were going to win anyways. Father would have won, he only needed two more," Kikyo retorted. She also had Inuyasha's puppy ears and white locks, half pulled up with the remainder cascading down her back. Unlike her older brother, Kikyo's eyes were the same deep chocolate brown as her mother's.

"Kikyo, don't be mean now. Did your father say anything else about where he was going?"

"No, Mother, just to come home. Do you think it is anything serious?" Kikyo asked, knitting her brow together.

"I'm sure it's nothing. Otherwise, he would have had you fetch Uncle Shippo," Kagome said, smiling. "In fact, dinner is just about ready. Jiro, run across and fetch Masami and Sota. Kikyo, you can grab Uncle Shippo and Aunt Sango."

"Yes, Mother." "Yes, Mama."

As the children ran out, Kagome set the table for the family. Kagome regularly invited whatever family was around to dinner to be able to catch up. Right now, Miroku had taken his and Sango's other two children to visit his childhood friend, while Masami's husband, Ichiro – Sango and Miroku's son, had left on a peace mission to a close-by demon village. Kagome would never get used to the apparent age differences in her family.

Due to the slow aging of demons, there appeared to be a wide range in the generations of her family. Jiro, her eldest child, only appeared to be 8 due to being a hanyou, while her youngest children, twins Masami and Sota, were fully human and were 22. Even Shippo only appeared to be about 13.

She heard the excited chatter as Jiro returned with Masami and Sota, carrying Masami's little girl, Mana, on his back. Kagome placed dinner on the table just as Jiro came running in with Mana giggling on his back. He plopped her down next to his spot and was shortly joined by Masami and Sota after they each gave Kagome a hug.

"Where's Dad? I figured he'd be starving by now," Masami asked.

"He went exploring something," Jiro explained with the smug look of a know-it-all. Masami gave him a wink, and then turned to the door as Kikyo returned with Shippo and Sango. There was a cheerful chatter of greetings. Kagome sat down and began dishing out their dinner.

"We'll go ahead and start. Inuyasha should be back soon," Kagome said as she passed the full dish to Sango. After everyone had their plate, Kagome gave the order to dig in. About half way through the meal, Jiro perked up and headed to the door. Sliding it open, he announced "Dad's coming…fast!"

"Kagome!" She heard her name called and quickly got up to see Inuyasha run through the door, carrying someone in his arms. She froze, her mind racing through all of her missing family members and what possible scenarios may have befallen them. Inuyasha swept past her, into the guest room, laid down his burden and then came back for her.

"Come quickly! I don't know what's wrong, but it's bad," he whispered in her ear. As she walked in the room, she immediately went to the young woman's side, noticing the large cut and bruising.

"I need my medical kit," Kagome called to Inuyasha, already on his way to retrieve it. She kneeled beside the woman, calling to Masami to bring her a bowl of water and some clean cloths. Both her daughter and husband arrived in the same moment. She slowly began cleaning the wound as Masami prepared the covers around the young woman.

"Where did you find her?" Kagome asked Inuyasha, pulling out bandages to wrap her wound and a vial of smelling salts to try to rouse the poor girl.

"The well."


	3. Chapter 3 - Searching for a Sign

**Chapter 3: Searching for a Sign**

**Author's Note: This chapter gets a little bit faster, in my opinion. And we get to see Sesshomaru! It is also a bit longer than the last two chapters. Let me know if the length is getting too long or if the formatting is difficult to read.**

* * *

Kagome quickly pulled back the blanket and took in the girl's clothing. "She's definitely from the future. Did you notice anything unusual about the well?"

Inuyasha lightly placed his hand on Kagome's shoulder, "Nothing. I felt the power from the well, but when I got there, it was as dead as always. She was just there…leaning against the well. I thought she was sleeping, but her breath was too slow and then I saw the wounds."

"It looks like she hit her head when she fell down the well. I think she has a concussion, that's why she isn't waking up. She'll need a lot of rest and quiet to recover. The cut isn't that awful, she lost some blood but not enough to be in danger. I don't think there will any permanent damage, but I can't be sure until she wakes up. Inuyasha," Kagome looked up into his golden eyes, "I think that until I talk to her, that you shouldn't be in sight, or Jiro and Kikyo. It will scare her. Masami can help me take care of her until we have a chance to explain." Kagome gave Inuyasha that charming smile.

"Hn. Well, I was going to take Jiro and Kikyo to visit Rin. Jiro wants to learn the new fighting style Toshi has invented and Kikyo wants to see Rin's new flower garden." Inuyasha shook his head, smiling. Kikyo was fascinated by all of the flowers, herbs, and other plants that Rin grew. Each of their children seemed to have a very specific interest: Kikyo in plants, Jiro in fighting, Sota in literature and history, and Masami, taking after her mother, in healing. Masami was very adept in using her miko abilities for healing, as she was taught by Kagome, just as Kagome had learned from Kaede.

"Masami, keep up with the cool cloths to help relieve the pain on that bump and reduce the swelling. We'll monitor the cut for any signs of infection. Hopefully, she'll wake up soon with little more than a headache. Inuyasha, can you show me where you found her?"

"Of course," Inuyasha said as he scooped Kagome into his arms and headed out into the main living area. Everyone else was milling around, looking concerned, confused, or excited. The last was Jiro as he hopped up and down, firing off questions faster than they could be answered, "Who is she? What happened? Is she dead?" Shippo laid a firm hand on Jiro's shoulder, calming the young boy. Shippo always seemed to be held in the highest regard by Jiro. Sango was just finishing clearing the table, and turned to Jiro.

"Don't worry, Kagome. I'll keep them in line," Sango said with a smirk. "Just find out what you need to help her." Sango began ushering everyone out the door towards her own house. Mana was toddling towards the guest room and Jiro moved to scoop her up, but Sota reached her first.

"I'll just stay here and help Masami, in case she needs anything," Sota said as he began walking with Mana towards her mother and the unconscious woman.

* * *

Nothing seemed unusual at the well. Nothing was disturbed, everything appeared perfectly natural. Inuyasha brought her directly to spot where the mysterious woman had been sitting. She asked him to search around, see if he smelled or saw anything unusual. She kneeled down in the grass, searching for any clues to the appearance of the time-traveler. She even asked Inuyasha to see if there was anything at the bottom of the well. He reported that he smelled some of her blood, not fresh, and the scent of the cherry blossoms still wafting around the clearing. Just as Inuyasha bent to pick Kagome up to take her home, she paused, bending down swiftly and picking up a small metal coin. She tried to examine it, but the moon didn't give off quite enough light to see any details.

"Alright, Inuyasha. I don't see anything else here. Let's go home." Inuyasha gave her a tight squeeze before picking her up. Once again, he looked down at this beautiful woman and was amazed at how she had fallen in love with him. Such a small woman with such a big heart. None of their children had ever wanted for more love or affection than she could give. She was practically a second mother to Sango and Miroku's three children, as well as Rin's two children. Even Sesshomaru had eventually warmed up to her…a little at least. He tolerated them, but that was a drastic improvement from where he had been before Kagome arrived.

* * *

"Momma! Momma! Uncle Sesshomaru's here," Natsumi came in, pulling Sesshomaru by his hand. Sesshomaru was a frequent visitor to Rin's house, often bringing small gifts when the children were younger. After the children had grown up, Sesshomaru often just visited and spoke to the family. They often spent evenings asking Sesshomaru to tell stories of growing up, or about his travels with their mother, or the battles against Naraku. Rin came in from the garden where she'd been making a bouquet of beautiful blossoms, ranging from bright sunny yellow to deep orange and bright red. She placed them in a vase sitting on the table.

"Good evening, Sesshomaru. What brings you here today? We weren't expecting you for a few more days," Rin gave a short bow as she addressed him.

"I felt…something. I was on my way to investigate and since my path took me near, I decided to stop," Sesshomaru replied. He gave her a brief nod before sitting down at the table as Rin began making tea. "Where has Toshi disappeared to this time?"

"Oh, he's just finishing training the young ones in archery today. They will be competing tomorrow. He's got the whole village in a frenzy, everyone wanting to show off," Natsumi replied. She plopped down next to Sesshomaru at the table after setting the tea her mother had prepared.

"What about you, young lady? What has been occupying your time lately?" Sesshomaru turned his honey colored eyes towards Rin's youngest child. She looked so much like Rin that Sesshomaru sometimes had memories of Rin saying or doing something extremely similar in the past. Right now, her checks were coloring bright pink and she cast her eyes downward.

"She's been seeing the young sword smith, Atsushi. He even crafted a beautiful short sword for her. Why don't you show Sesshomaru the sword, Natsumi?" Rin urged her daughter. Natsumi's eyes widened at the thought of showing Sesshomaru her sword. It was unique and beautiful to her and she desperately wanted his approval of it, and of Atsushi. She quickly stood and took off to her room, grabbing the sword from where it laid on her desk, pausing to admire it in the pre-dawn light.

It had been made of a light but incredibly sturdy metal, so that she could easily handle it without it breaking the first time she blocked with it. The grip was wrapped in two durable leather strips, one red and the other white, crisscrossing down to the blade. On the blade, right before the hilt was a cascade of etched cherry blossoms. Just looking at it reminded her of Sesshomaru. He was such an important person to her family…to her…saving them on more than one occasion from lesser demons or the few bandits that traveled the road not too far away.

She had grown attached to him, even believed that she loved him for a time. She had been so determined to make him love her too, that her mother had to finally sit her down and explain that Sesshomaru was not meant to be hers, that there was one girl, somewhere far away that held his heart. When Natsumi had asked who she was, Rin gave her a small smile and said that not even Sesshomaru knew that, but that it was their job to help him find her. Natsumi had cried for a while, but eventually began to see the wisdom in her mother's words. Sesshomaru was not for her.

She spoke of him constantly though, which is most likely how Atsushi had determined the colors to be used. Sesshomaru's armor was predominantly red and white, with a scattering of cherry blossoms. For the first time, she was hesitant about presenting the sword to Sesshomaru. What if he was affronted that they had used his armor as inspiration without asking? She had no time to consider this question; her mother was calling to her. She quickly picked up the matching scabbard, and hastened to the living room. She stopped right in front of Sesshomaru, bowing low and holding the sword out in her palms towards him. He gracefully lifted the sword, which looked like nothing more than a toy in his hand. He pulled the sword from the scabbard, taking in the feel and balance of the sword. He went through a complex but agile movement, flipping the sword to slash a front attacker and stab a rear attacker. He then brought the sword back in front and began to examine it minutely.

"Breathe." Natsumi near jumped out of her skin at her mother's touch. She grinned sheepishly since she had indeed been holding her breath since the sword had left her grasp. She watched as Sesshomaru finished examining the blade and turned his attention to the scabbard. She hated that inscrutable mask that he had when he was carefully investigating anything. Not a flicker of any emotion showed on his face. He replaced the sword in the scabbard with deference, handing both back to Natsumi.

"It is an excellently crafted sword and should serve you well in times of need," he stated. Natsumi gave a sigh of relief, causing one of Sesshomaru's eyebrows to lift. Natsumi began crying, holding the sword to her chest. She was exceedingly pleased that he had found no fault with the weapon, even complimenting it. She quickly turned, heading back to her room to put the sword away. She didn't want Sesshomaru to think that she was a silly girl for crying about a sword, but she knew he would have smelled her tears. She was just so proud of Atsushi, that he had been complimented by Sesshomaru meant the world to her.

"She has spoken of nothing but that weapon since receiving it, and mostly about being able to show you," Rin mentioned as she sat next to him. She gently placed her hand on his arm, "thank you."

"There is nothing to be thanked for. I spoke the truth. It is a well-crafted blade. Not on the same field as my own, but exceptional for being human crafted. I believe that the young man made the blade specifically for her. The grip seemed to be molded to her hand, with the balance intended to compensate for the right handed techniques that she prefers," Sesshomaru replied. Rin just gave him the enchanting smile that had not changed since she had first smiled at him, so long ago.

"How long will you be staying? Yutaka is just out hunting and should be home soon."

"Unfortunately, I will be leaving now. I wish to investigate that power surge. It was somewhat familiar…but I cannot recall why. I will stop again on my way back," he explained. He gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand before rising and heading back out into the dawn. Rin held her hand up to her cheek. It was rare when Sesshomaru showed signs of affection and she treasured the moments that he did. Slowly she stood back up and began preparing breakfast for Yutaka to eat when he returned from hunting.

* * *

Masami was just changing the cold compress, with Mana's assistance, when her parents returned. She told Mana to let her know if the girl moved and quickly went to meet them. Inuyasha was just setting Kagome down when Masami reached them. She seemed to be fiddling with something small and shiny.

"Did you find anything?" She asked, keeping her eyes on the trinket that her mother had. There didn't appear to be anything on it.

"Just this," Kagome said, handing the coin to Masami who examined it by the fire. It was completely smooth, more of an oval than a circle, but not a thing on it. "It was lying right next to the well where your father found her sitting. She must have had it in her hand before she passed out."

"Her smell is all over it. But there isn't anything else there. No other scents, nothing disturbed. And not a flicker of power from the well," Inuyasha added with a sigh. "It looks like she had just climbed out when she passed out."

"She was unlikely to make it far with that head wound," Masami observed. "I'm surprised that she even made it out of the well at all. We'll just have to see what damage has been done after she wakes up," she stated. She headed back into the patient's room after setting the coin down on the table.

"I don't think it is a good idea to leave you here alone with her. What if it is some type of trick? I can stay in the house, just out of sight," Inuyasha pleaded.

"Nonsense. I don't like this anymore than you do. That well has been dormant for years. It is highly unlikely for it to just send us the first person to fall down it, so there must be some reason _she _was sent here. Besides, Masami and Sota are more than capable of protecting themselves. You made sure of that," Kagome reassured him, giving him a big hug and a quick kiss on the cheek. "Go. I'll send Sota to Rin's to let you know when she wakes up," Kagome gently commanded. Inuyasha gave her one last beseeching look before heading over to Sango's to collect Jiro and Kikyo.

Kagome waited until Inuyasha was gone before turning and heading towards Masami. Sota was sitting in the corner entertaining Mana with some stories while Masami quickly brought Kagome up to date about the girl's condition.

"There's been no change. I checked over the rest of her body for any other wounds. Other than the head wound, she seems healthy. A little on the thin side, but nothing some of your cooking won't fix," Masami remarked. "Is there anything else that we can do to try and wake her up?" Kagome slowly shook her head.

"It's up to her now," Kagome answered, taking a seat next to the bed. She took the young girl's hand in her own and whispered, "Why are you here? What new terror is awaiting us?"

* * *

Sesshomaru stood at the edge of the forest, glaring at the well. He could smell Inuyasha and Kagome, but the strongest smell was of cherry blossoms. It seemed to have attached itself to the area without the usual dispersion, but he could find nothing of the source. I could smell Inuyasha's scent with the cherry blossoms, but instead of mingling together, they seemed to be completely separate, like something was preventing them from mixing. The flower scent went off in the direction of Inuyasha and Kagome's village.

He was getting frustrated with the nagging suspicion that he had felt that power surge before, but now he felt nothing from the well. He tried to concentrate on the specific feel of the energy when he realized that he _had_ felt it before. It was same surge that happened when Kagome came through the well the last time, thirty some years prior. "What does this mean?" Sesshomaru pondered to himself. "I might as well determine the threat of this new presence so that I may dispose of it now instead of being bothered with it later," he sighed and with that, he head towards the village.

* * *

Ren gradually began to hear soft sounds, as if someone was whispering just out of range. She moved her head slightly, immediately stopping when she felt a drop of cold water run down her forehead to her cheek. Her head felt like stone and when she cracked her eyes, all she could see was a pinkish light spreading through the window.

"I must have really cracked myself," she thought. "I remember visiting the shrine and then going to bed, but…" she peeked around the room. This was not the same room she remembered. She looked towards the mumbled sound and saw a man, about her own age, speaking to a young girl, no more than five years old. She heard a rustle as a door slid open; in walked an older woman followed by a younger woman carrying a tray of food and tea. She bore a strong resemblance to both the older woman and the man in the corner. "They must all be related," Ren thought, getting nervous. What had happened? Her head hurt, but it hadn't when she went to bed. This wasn't the same room and she'd never seen any of these people before.

"Mother, she's awake." The younger woman mentioned to the older woman. They both turned towards her in the bed. "Everything's okay. You hit your head. Do you remember?" the daughter asked Ren.

"No. I was asleep in my bed at the shrine, and then I woke up here…" Ren thought. Perhaps they had kidnapped her. That made some sense, although they were being overly nice to her, but maybe they needed something. "It's not like I have any money and or any connections to anyone important," she tried to examine it logically, but the more she thought about it, the more her brain was determined to just give in to panic. There was noise coming from outside her room and she heard more footsteps.

"Oh, no! More people, I need to get out now." She had a clear shot at the door, and if there was only one person coming in, she should be able to slip past them before they could grab her. She tensed her muscles and made quick work of her escape. She was out the door, past the two stunned women, but as she turned her head to look ahead, she ran right into a wall of white and red. She hit it so hard that she would have fallen backwards onto her rear if something hadn't grabbed her arm to prevent it. Shaking her head to try to clear her increasingly foggy mind, she slowly looked up to see what she had run into and figure out how to get around it. She only had a few precious moments before the others would come to their senses and chase her. She was looking at something that appeared to be cloth and metal, with spikes that were just to the right of her head. Her eyes continued upward until they landed on a disapproving glare coming from golden eyes.


	4. Chapter 4 - No Need to Escape

**Chapter 4: No Need to Escape**

** Author's Note: The collision has occurred! I've noticed that I had not mentioned it, but I do not own any of the Inuyasha characters, but the plot is mine alone, as are the OC. I will only say it once, and it will be implied for the entire story. Anyways, reviews are food for writers and this writer is starving…**

* * *

Walking in to the house, the smell of cherry blossoms seemed to almost disappear, still lingering lightly in the air but not nearly as strong as before. Sesshomaru followed the last of the smell towards one of the bedrooms. He heard two gasps as a small woman ran straight into his chest. He put out a hand to grab her arm to prevent her from falling backwards from the force of her impact. Her heart beat was racing, her breathing short and quick. The clothes were similar to those Kagome had worn when she first traveled with his brother. Short brown hair covered her face until she slowly looked up, her hair falling to the side to reveal bright green eyes, a small mouth that was slightly open as she stared into his eyes. He did not appreciate being run into like a wall.

He heard movement as Kagome followed her daughter into the living room. Masami was about to speak when the girl suddenly began struggling. Her actions would be futile against his grip, but it was an interesting reaction to seeing the other women. They seemed to attract the confidence of anyone they met, human or demon, so for this obviously human girl to look so terrified of just seeing them was an anomaly.

"Let…me…go" the girl grunted with each yank of her arm. His grip remained strong, but she persisted. She tried to pry at his fingers but he simply grabbed her other wrist to stop her insistent struggles. Her whole body seemed to sag once he held both of her arms still.

"What do you want done with this woman?" Sesshomaru inquired chillingly.

* * *

His grip was incredible; he didn't seem to budge at all from her efforts and didn't even appear to use any real exertion to keep his grip on her arm. Once she gave up on trying pulling her arm out of his grasp, she tried to pry his fingers loose but he quickly grabbed her free hand, forcing them in front of her chest, elbows bent. Suddenly the adrenaline that had assisted her flight and initial resistance wore off and she sagged into her arms; the only thing holding her up was his grip on her wrists.

"It's useless," she thought as her head began pounding fiercely. She imagined that she could _feel_ the blood pumping through her brain, pounding out like a hammer with each heart beat. She tried to calm her heart but it refused to slow its fast paced beating, each beat bringing a throbbing sensation in her wrists where the man's grip was sure to be leaving bruises. She stared at his hands, noticing the unusually long nails, almost like talons, and the two magenta stripes tattooed on his right wrist. She heard his voice and it sent a shiver down her spine. "I'm in for it now. That was my only chance and it failed. I'm sure they'll put me in chains now," she thought dejectedly to herself.

* * *

Mana had just peeked around her mother's legs and saw Uncle Sesshomaru holding on to the woman's arms. The woman didn't look well, her face was pale and her mouth was in a grimace. Mana toddled forward and took a hold of Sesshomaru's pants. She looked back to see Uncle Sota giving her a slight grin as she gave a tug on the fabric. She waited until he looked down at her, and then said very carefully, "Uncle Sesshomaru, the patient isn't well. Could you put her back in bed so we can make her better?" His eyes softened a little as he gave an almost imperceptible nod, stooping slightly to cradle the girl in his arms and swiftly moved into the bedroom to lay her on the mattress.

Mana followed him, putting on her best "healer" face and moving to the girl's side. She gently placed one of the damp cloths on her forehead, smoothing the hair back from her face gently. It was an almost absurd image, this tiny little girl trying to protect this mysterious woman. Sesshomaru placed his large hand softly on Mana's little shoulder and whispered in her ear, "You are an extraordinary young girl, Mana."

"I have to be if I want to be like Momma and Grandma Kagome," Mana promptly replied. She smiled charmingly up at her Uncle and then swiftly began shooing him out of the room, stating that the patient need rest and quiet and that meant nobody hovering around. She lead him out of the room, gave him one more endearing grin, grabbed her mother's hand and went back into the room, quietly sliding the door shut.

* * *

"Such a precocious child," Sesshomaru muttered as he was left standing outside the bedroom with Sota and Kagome. He sat himself at the table facing the door Mana and Masami had disappeared through. Kagome gave him an odd look, but set about making some more tea and snacks for their wait. As she set the table, she saw Sesshomaru pick up the metal coin that had come with the mysterious woman. He ran his fingers lightly over it, examining it, setting it back on the table as he accepted the cup of tea from Kagome.

"Tell me, how did she come to be here?" Sesshomaru inquired and Kagome began to tell him the sequence of events.

* * *

Masami helped the girl to sit up against the wall, preparing the broth for her to eat. She ignored the way the girl was watching her, like she was going to eat her any moment. She reached forward to check the bandage when the girl jerked her head away, eying her suspiciously. Masami sighed, setting the bowl back on the floor. The girl needed to eat something, but if she wasn't going to trust her, eating was going to be the least of her trouble. She looked over to Mana who was gently examining the girl's bruised wrists. The girl didn't even flinch from her daughter's ministrations. She slowly stood up, gave her daughter a meaningful look, and then headed back out of the room. Perhaps her daughter would be able to gain her trust.

Mana gently wrapped the patient's wrists with a cool cloth. She moved around the bed, picking up the bowl of soup.

"You really need to eat. That's the first thing that any patient needs: good food," she said, smiling. She took the spoon and carefully scooped up some broth and brought it to the girl's lips, who slowly sipped at the broth. Mana continued to feed her, a little at a time, keeping a running monologue. She spoke about who she was, where they were, her family, what injuries she was treating all the while spooning more soup into her patient. As soon as the bowl was empty, she set it down and began checking over the wounds again. She had just pulled back the bandage on the girl's forehead when she suddenly leaned back and looked the girl in the eyes.

"What's your name?" Mana asked seriously. When she saw her hesitate, she added, "I like to know the names of people that I'm helping." She gave her a pleading look until the girl finally gave her an answer.

"It's Serenity, but they just call me Ren," the young girl answered slowly.

"Serenity," Mana rolled the name around. It sounded unusual, but she decided she liked it. "Who are they?" she asked, adding when she saw Ren was confused, "You said that _they_ just call you Ren, but who are they?"

"I…I'm not sure," Ren answered, knitting her brows together in concentration. "I can't remember."

"Its okay, Grandma said that you might have some…amnesia…memory loss," Mana explained, quickly assuring her that it was most likely temporary.

They both sat silently as Mana checked the head bandage, removing it to rub a salve on it to keep the skin moist and help prevent scarring. It was a slightly jagged wound, running from the slightly right side of her hairline in a zigzag towards her left temple. "I'm going to leave the bandage off for a little while to let the wound breathe," Mana informed her.

Ren scrutinized the little girl in front of her. She couldn't possibly be more than four years old, but she seemed to be extremely deft with handling wounds and incredibly knowledgeable about healing. "How old are you?" Ren asked softly.

Mana looked up and gave her a surprisingly warm smile. "I'll be five in one more season." She noticed the disbelieving look and added, "I've been helping Momma with healing since I was able to walk. She says I show definite promise if I keep studying with her."

Mana's smile and cheer were infectious and Ren started smiling before she knew it, until she thought about the man who had apprehended her. Her face fell as she thought about the circumstances. She was starting to believe that these people were truly trying to help her, but she still couldn't figure out how she got here. And she had appeared so ungrateful, trying to run away from them.

"Who was the man who stopped me?" she asked Mana as she was tucking her into the bed. There was just a light cover, which would likely be unnecessary in a few more hours. The sun was almost halfway up and the air was getting warmer.

Mana paused as she was just gathering the empty bowl to take out, "That's Uncle Sesshomaru. He's really nice but he doesn't show it all the time. I think that he is sorry for bruising your arms. Now, you need rest to get better so go to sleep," she said as she balanced the bowl against her hip so she could point her small finger at Ren to emphasis her instructions. With one more admonitory look, she slid the door open enough to let her out and then quickly closed it behind her.

* * *

Sesshomaru contemplated the facts that Kagome had given him. This was disturbing news. The last time someone had come through the well, Naraku had gone on a wide spread conquest for power. While Naraku had not been an impossible foe, he had been an extreme annoyance that had taken far too long to deal with. It seemed unlikely that that young woman could be of any use to a battle, but Kagome had surprised him with her powers. He did not like to be surprised, so he would try not to judge the girl without first seeing her abilities.

He heard a slight noise as Mana came out of the bedroom carrying an empty bowl. She handed the bowl to her mother who placed it in the sink, while Mana took a seat on Sesshomaru's lap. She looked up into his eyes and gave him a wink and said, "Do you want to know what she told me?"

Masami came to join Sota, Kagome, and Sesshomaru at the table, handing a small cup of tea to her daughter with a nod to proceed. Mana sat up straighter, taking a sip of her tea before beginning. "She said her name is Serenity. She doesn't remember anyone though, from her time. She seems very nice but scared. I don't know what happened to her before she got here. Maybe she was chased into the well. I don't think she remembers yet either," Mana stated. She put a small hand on Sesshomaru's arm and said, "I told her that you were sorry for hurting her arms. You are, aren't you, Uncle Sesshomaru?"

"I only prevented her from leaving the one safe place for her to be," he responded. She frowned, glaring up at him until he amended, "I did not intend to cause her pain." Her frown was rapidly replaced with a smile and she gave his arm a little pat.

"I think that we need to tell her the truth as soon as possible. If there is any chance that there may be some new threat, she will need all the time she can get to become accustomed to the truth and begin training," Sota spoke up. He had been watching everything from the side, but he had a gut feeling that something bad was coming.

"I believe Sota is right," Kagome agreed. She knew from experience that this was a lot to take in and she had also noticed that while the girl spoke and understood Japanese, it was not her first language. This meant that she might not even have the history and stories that Kagome had grown up with to help her adjust. "Sota, I think that you should bring Inuyasha back. She'll need proof that what I tell her is true. Sesshomaru, I'd like it if you could stay as well," she turned to him as she spoke. He simply nodded in return.

"Perhaps we should postpone confronting her until she wakes up on her own," Sesshomaru added, having noticed that the girl's breathing had evened out into sleep. "I will keep watch in case she foolishly tries to run again."

With the decisions made, Sota left with one of the horses to fetch Inuyasha from Rin's village, Kagome set about her daily chores, Masami left for her healer rounds, and Sesshomaru was left in charge, with Mana, to watch over the girl. He took position right outside her door, closed his eyes and listened to her slow breathing.


	5. Chapter 5 - A Dream of Death

**Chapter 5: A Dream of Death**

**Author's Note: I am just going to say that I am the happiest little author ever, getting my first review (hapezibah) and TWO, count that – T W O – whole followers (hapezibah and CuteLittleCupcake) I hope you continue to enjoy this story of mine.**

**PS hapezibah: What better way to watch over a patient than having a demon EKG standing guard : P**

* * *

The house was silent with an occasional rustle when Ren moved in the other room. While still asleep, Sesshomaru could tell that she was restless. Every now and then, he would hear a word or two from her, mumbled, as though she was talking in a dream, but the words were unfamiliar to him. Although he would never admit to it, this girl intrigued him. Something was familiar about her, but he couldn't imagine why. Her skin was a medium tan; her short brown hair seemed to be multiple shades, with a few small hints of red throughout. But her eyes, her eyes were what caught his attention the most. They had been a bright color, but seemed to be dark around the edges, similar to how the sunlight coming through a dark cloud appeared brighter in the middle. The shape of her eyes was rounder than normal and her nose was sharper. It was not an unpleasant face, he admitted to himself, but it was unusual.

He flinched as a loud scream accosted his ears. It only took him a moment to realize that the sound had come from the room he was guarding. He was up and in the room in a blur of movement. He had just finished scanning the room for intruders when he heard a muffled yell. He looked down at the girl; she was tangled in the blanket, both arms trapped underneath her body as she lay on her stomach, face buried in the pillow. He quickly untangled her and turned her over on her back, lightly shaking her to try and wake her up. It was obviously a dream that bothered her and the sooner she woke up, the better his ears would be.

She began fighting against him, her hands pushing desperately at his chest and shoulders. Her eyes were open now, but she still did not see _him_. She was muttering; her voice quiet but twice as forceful as when she had screamed. A few tears slid down her cheeks as she continued to beat at his chest with her small hands balled up into fists. All of the words that she said were unfamiliar to him, except one: please.

* * *

The house was completely silent and pitch-black. With no moon, the only light came from the few twinkling stars that peeked in and out behind the clouds. Something woke Serenity, something that was indistinct but obviously sinister. She slowly sat up in her bed, listening for any unusual sounds. Although she heard nothing, her mind would not let her relax back into sleep. Cautiously slipping out of her bed, she walked to her door and placed her ear near the handle. Nothing. Cracking open her door, she glanced up and down the hallway. Her parent's room was to the right and she slowly crept towards their door when she heard a loud crash and nearly jumped out of her skin. She spun around to see a large man silhouetted by the single flashlight held by another behind him. She turned on her heel and ran, yanking open her parent's door to find an empty but messy bed. She heard the heavy footsteps as the man must be coming closer and quickly climbed underneath her parent's large bed. She had just wiggled under when she saw the impressively large shadow fall across the door.

"Come out little girl. Don't you want to see your Mommy and Daddy?" His voice sent shivers down her spine and grated against her nerves. She saw heavy black boots walk slowly around the room, pausing here and there, accompanied by the sound of drawers closet doors opening and closing.

Maybe, just maybe he would search under the bed. Not a moment after she hopefully finished the thought was her leg pulled harshly, dragging her out of her hiding place. Concentrating strictly on the large heavy boots, she had completely missed the smaller boots that had snuck in shortly afterward. The small boots were the ones that had discovered her, pulling her out and throwing her solidly onto the bed. The man belonging to the large boots was even more intimidating than the boots had been. His hair was short and spiky, like it was trying to escape his head. His eyes were small and glinted evilly in the sporadically moving flashlight held by Small Boots. A nasty scar ran from the side of his jaw to his collar. Small Boots was the utter opposite. He was thin but muscular; his hair was neatly combed, no visible scars or deformities, and very white teeth that were displayed in a malicious grin.

Serenity tried to wiggle herself away from the two men when the smaller one caught her ankle, dragging her across the bed. He quickly grabbed her, holding her back to his chest, her feet dangling a good foot above the ground and pinning her arms to her sides. She kicked with all her might but couldn't seem to land a single one.

"I want this one after we get the money," Small Boots laughed. "She's got some fight in her."

"You can do whatever you want, but only after we get the money. Has Hammer taken care of the parents?"

Another man, even larger than the first and looking more like a bear than a man, stepped into the room. "All ready. Let's get out." He even sounded like a bear, seeming to have growled rather than spoken. Big Boots followed Hammer out of the bedroom and Ren found herself being carried after them. She continued her struggles until they reached her living room. Ren's struggles immediately ceased and a scream tore from her throat. Lying on the couch was her mother, eyes wide open, her beautiful night gown covered in blood. Her father was sprawled on the floor on his stomach, the pool of red slowly spreading around his body. Small Boots had to reposition his grip on her as her struggles renewed two fold. She kicked, clawed, punched, and attacked in any other way that she could. She continued her monologue of demands, quietly so as to save breathe for her frantic struggles.

"Let me go! What did you do? Momma, Daddy! Stop! Stop, please, stop! Please, please, please…" Her breath was hitching from sobs that were lodged in her throat and her attacks were losing their force. She was just closing her eyes when she suddenly felt a sharp sting on her cheek as her head was forced sideways. As she jerked her head back around, she opened her eyes to stare at an open hand. Her eyes traveled up to the wrist, arm, shoulder, across to the chest, and finally into those golden eyes.

"You were dreaming."

* * *

As he watched her eyes re-focus on him, he knew that the slap had worked, forcing her out of the nightmare. When she finally looked up, her face held a look of confusion and still a trace of whatever terror had been attacking her in her dream.

"You were dreaming," he explained. He lowered his hand as she raised her own to her cheek, gently cradling it. He had used as little force as was necessary and there should be no permanent damage. His eyes traveled down to her wrist where it was already beginning to discolor from his earlier handling. "I did not intend to cause you injure," he stated. When she looked up at him with confusion, he gently tugged on her hand to bring it away from cheek where she could see the discoloration on her wrist.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have tried to run. I…I just didn't know where I was," she tried to explain. He quirked an eyebrow at her, so she tried again. "I don't know how I got here. I went to sleep at the shrine and woke up here. I thought I had been kidnapped."

"Hn."

She dropped her eyes to her wrists, gently smoothing the bandages back in place that must have been displaced during her dream. That dream. She hadn't had that dream since she was 16. It had taken her four years to push that memory into the deepest, darkest part of her mind and to lock it away. Waking up in this unfamiliar place surrounded by strangers must have triggered the memories. She leaned back against the wall as the man…what was his name?...Sesshomaru, that's right…while he stood by the door watching her. She couldn't figure out why he stayed there and his expression or lack thereof, gave her no clue.

For the first time, she actually _looked_ at him. He was tall and thin, but she knew from experience that he had a strength that belied his size. He had long silver hair, probably dyed, and a few more tattoos. There was a blue crescent moon in the middle of his forehead and two stripes on his cheeks that matched the ones on his right wrist. His eyes were honey gold, or rather his contacts were. His clothes were an unfamiliar style; she couldn't even remember seeing anyone at the festivals wearing something similar. His clothes were predominantly white with what appeared to be flower blossoms on the sleeves and collar. He had a chest plate, with spikes that went over his shoulder. It was amazing that she hadn't stabbed herself when she had run into him earlier. By his side was a sword tied on with a yellow and blue sash. He was admittedly handsome, but something seemed oddly familiar about him, but she couldn't place why.

He was still watching her from the door, as if he was expecting something…

"Thank you…for waking me," Ren stuttered. He simply gave a slight inclination of his head to indicate that he had heard her.

She closed her eyes, trying to relax the muscles that had tensed during her dream and were reluctant to loosen up now that she was awake, but she quickly opened them again when she saw her mother's lifeless eyes staring back at her. It was going to take a while before she could force those memories back to that tiny corner of her mind, which meant several sleepless nights. Well, she wasn't just going to sit in bed the whole time.

"Is there anything that I can do to help?" she asked Sesshomaru. "My head doesn't hurt much anymore and I would prefer to be doing something productive instead of just lying in bed," she explained, hoping that she wasn't sounding ungrateful.

* * *

Sesshomaru sighed inwardly. He had only been asked to guard her to prevent another ill-planned escape; he did not wish to deal with the vagaries of a human woman. Humans were notoriously fickle, increasingly so with the females and he would not be requested to partake in which ever activities she decided on.

After the defeat of Naraku, Sesshomaru had accepted the fact that Inuyasha was, by blood, part of his pack and it was his responsibility as pack leader to protect him. The humans had been a technicality. Inuyasha had previously accepted Kagome, Sango, Miroku, and the fox kit Shippo into his pack and had tried to protect them as a pack leader should, so by accepting Inuyasha into his pack, he had to also accept Inuyasha's pack. Then, by blood again, all of the children produced by Inuyasha and Kagome and Sango and Miroku were also included into his pack. He had gone from only Rin to just under twenty pack members in a few years.

Although having accepted some humans into his pack, Sesshomaru still did not associate with humans on a regular basis, and he was not about to start now with this…invalid. Although temporarily sheltered and cared for, she was _not _part of his pack. He would stand guard, as requested by Kagome, but he would not be any more involved than that.

"You need rest. Kagome will wish to speak with you," he stated, then took up station again outside the room, closing the door on her huff of annoyance.

* * *

Jiro's nose caught a familiar scent. He had to quickly side step to avoid Toshi's thrust. They had been sparring for an hour, right after Jiro had begged Toshi to teach him the new style he was creating to fight one-on-one. "It's Sota!" Jiro yelled, before dropping his practice sword and taking off in the direction his brother was in. He knew what this meant; the girl had woken up and Momma had explained everything to her and now he would get to hear the new woman's stories too. He saw Sota just coming up the last hill, reins in hand, and pumped his legs even harder. He slowed down before launching himself at his brother, shouting his name. Sota's arms wrapped around him in a hug while quickly spinning to release some of the excess energy from his leap. Sota was laughing as he gently set his brother back on his feet, saying "what's got you so excited, Jiro?"

"You've come to get Daddy so we can all go home and I can talk to the new woman and hear all of her stories," he got out in one breath. Sota ruffled his hair, laughing when Jiro scrunched up his nose in annoyance.

"Hello down there! Come on up to the house, Sota. I'm sure you're parched from the travel," Toshi called from the steps. He had both his and Jiro's practice swords and was waving them in. "I'll take the horse over to the stable and clean him up for you," he said, taking the reins from Sota's hand. Sota just smiled a thank you and headed into the house, Jiro close on his heels.

"Daddy! Sota's here! We get to go back!" Jiro excitedly shouted for his father. Inuyasha came out of the side room where he had been helping Rin move the table around and gave a silencing glare towards his son. Despite being an Inu hanyou, Jiro did not seem to have the same acute hearing that his sister, father, and uncle had and was constantly being reminded to lower his voice. Jiro's face lost its smile as he whispered, "Sorry."

Sota relayed Kagome's request to Inuyasha. Inuyasha nodded, saying that he would head back immediately. Jiro pulled on his sleeve and asked, "Can't I come too?"

Inuyasha took a moment to consider before saying, "She still isn't well. You may be too much energy for her to handle, right now. I promise that you can come back tomorrow." Jiro thought for a second, then smiled and nodded his head.

"Just so long as Toshi can help me practice," Jiro amended. He smiled up as his father told him that he only needed to ask Toshi. Jiro ran off to the stables to discuss his extended visit.

Rin came in with her newest bouquet of flowers, smiling as she handed him a delicate pink flower, telling him to give it to the young woman in the hope of a quick recovery. Inuyasha glanced down then quickly asked, "How'd you know that she smells like cherry blossoms?"

Rin looked startled for a moment and then said, "I didn't. I just saw it and thought that it would be a nice 'get better' token." She was smiling as she walked away. "Send my love to Kagome, when you go back," she called over her shoulder.

Inuyasha glanced down at the flower, and then handed it over to Sota for safe keeping. He still tended to destroy fragile items, especially when he was running and Sota could take it back with him on the horse. They were standing at the front steps when Inuyasha gave Sota one final request: bring Shippo to the house when he got back.

* * *

There was a small tap on the frame of the door before it was slid open. An older woman stood with a tea tray and Ren quickly stood up to help her settle it. The woman gave her a warming smile that went all the way up to her eyes. She quickly got everything settled and sat on the edge of the mattress, motioning for Ren to sit next to her.

"This must be Kagome. He said she wanted to talk to me," Ren thought. She seemed so grandmotherly; she just exuded a sense of comfort and belonging.

The older woman waited a few moments as Ren poured them each a cup of tea, then said, "I want to tell you a story and I want you to pay attention." Ren nodded, so the older woman continued. "Long ago, there was a girl who fell down a well…"


	6. Chapter 6 - Another Girl's Trip Down

**Chapter 6: Another Girl's Trip Down the Demon Well**

**Author's Notes: First, let me thank you for the following:**

**Reviews: hapezibah and sesshomaruismine99 (you have to share)**

**Followers: Alexus Uzumaki, TullianoHexe, and sesshomaruismine99**

**Favorites (These warm my heart and fuel my creative fire): hapezibah, sesshomaruismine99, Alexus Uzumaki, and NilaStar13**

**Now, in response to the reviews:**

**hapezibah: I imagine she has aged remarkably well. Most stories that I've read involve her having an extended life, either from her mating to a demon, becoming a hanyou or a full demon. She is neither a demon in any form or given any extra life from her mating to Inuyasha in this story and as thus, she will continue to age while Inuyasha, Jiro, and Kikyo outlive her. The anime never seems to discuss the complications of demon/human pairings, everybody dying early in their lives, so this is entirely up to me. Yes, it is a little sad, but it's not fair if everybody gets to live forever, now is it?**

**sesshomaruismine99: I have uploaded a family tree of everyone, how they are related and what their ages are at the page – anadventuretofindhome period webs period com. When you see two numbers (250/17) under a demon's name, it is their chronological age and their apparent age. I was incredibly in depth before I started. : )**

* * *

Kagome had just finished concluding the final battle with Naraku, the three years spent in the future, and the eventual return to the feudal era. Ren sat quietly listening to the story, absent-mindedly rubbing her wrists. Kagome carefully observed her, noticing the slight twitch every now and then in her wrist, the distant look in her eyes, and the slight frown on her lips. She reached out and put her hand on top of Serenity's wrist, causing the younger woman to look up suddenly, re-focusing her eyes on Kagome.

"Do you know why I told you all of this?" Kagome asked seriously, maintaining eye contact until Ren dropped her gaze back to her hands. She was fidgety, but seemed too lost in thought to even notice. Kagome gave her a few more minutes before gently prompting her again.

* * *

Everything that Kagome had told her seemed like a fairy tale the Grimm brothers would have written, with demons, curses, swords made from fangs, and a jewel of power. But she had said them so sincerely, like she actually believed them. Granted, maybe she was just crazy…but something wouldn't let Ren accept that to be true. She was an open-minded individual, but even she had trouble believing in a time-travel portal in an old well.

Ren felt a warm hand lay on her wrist, the one that she had been unconsciously rubbing, and looked up into even warmer brown eyes. "Do you know why I told you all of this?" she heard Kagome ask. She broke eye contact, knowing that she was expected to answer, but how?

She tried to think logically. Maybe, the story was more metaphorical than literal. Overall, there was the motif of good triumphs over evil, but why such a detailed story? There had been the love triangle, but why the battles then? Maybe the importance of family, but, no, that wasn't right. Slowly, she looked up and met Kagome's eyes again. She still couldn't find a proper answer, simply shaking her head to indicate her confusion.

Kagome smiled, as if she had expected her lack of response. She tilted her head to the side, asking "Would it help if I could prove some of what I told you?" Ren slowly nodded, wondering what she could possibly be shown that would prove anything. "I spoke often about demons and half-demons, right? What if I could let you meet some?" Ren again just nodded, thinking that the woman's story couldn't possibly be true, not literally at least, so if she saw what the woman believed were demons, she could try to figure out the real meaning of the story.

Kagome headed for the door, turning once she reached it and added, "you've already met one, but I will call them both in." She slid open the door a crack, spoke a few inaudible words to whomever was outside, most likely that man from earlier, and pulled the door a little wider as two more people entered behind her. Ren's eyes went immediately to the familiar man. Sesshomaru was standing as solidly as stone, appearing to stare right through her, rather than at her. She gave an almost silent "humph" then her eyes traveled over to the man on the other side of Kagome. The man had his arm wrapped protectively around her waist, her hand over his larger one. She looked up at his face and practically fell off the mattress. She quickly righted herself but couldn't help staring at him. He had dog ears!

"No, no, no…they can't be real…can they?" Ren quickly thought to herself. Her mind refused to process any of his other strange characteristics, such as his silver-white locks, his golden eyes, or talon-ended fingers. She just sat there, open mouth gaping at those ears. Her trance was broken when the left ear twitched. She wanted to touch them, to see if they were real, but didn't know how to ask, or if she even should. Maybe he was sensitive about them.

Kagome solved her conundrum by saying, "Inuyasha, let her touch them." She smiled loving at him, adding "you know us girls and those ears." He gave a snort, but took the step forward to the edge of the bed, slowly kneeling down to be eye-level with Ren. She couldn't move, her hands worrying in her lap, until he quickly grabbed her hand and had it by his ear before she knew it. Her fingers tentatively reached out and gently ran the length of his ear. If she closed her eyes, she would never have known that she was staring at a man, not a dog.

Maybe the woman wasn't crazy. Ren wasn't the type of person to deny the facts in front of her, but she wanted some more time to think it through before giving herself up to this story. Retracting her hand from his ears, she looked over to Kagome, still standing beside the impossibly blank Sesshomaru, and requested, "May I have some time…to think everything over? And, I'd really like to walk outside, if I may?"

Kagome gave a smiling nod.

* * *

She looked around the village, noticing that while they looked similar to the historical buildings she remembered seeing, they looked new. The few villagers that weren't out in the fields were all in old fashioned clothes. She let her legs continue walking as she tried to think through everything.

While she could explain away most of Sesshomaru's features, Inuyasha's ears shot a hole in her logic. She couldn't come up with a single explanation for them. She tried again to remember what happened before she got here. She remembered touring around Japan with three of her classmates, but every time she tried to remember their names she would draw a blank. When she tried to picture their faces, all she could come up with was a blurry image that could be anyone. She remembered reaching the shrine, that they were flying home the next day, even remembered the host. She could remember his name was Sota, so why couldn't she remember her classmates'?

She was brought out of her musings when the sky around her darkened. She looked up into a canopy of verdant leaves. She took a quick look around, realizing that she must have walked into the forest that was at the edge of the village. She almost turned around, but something made her continue farther into the trees. She focused on the host at the shrine. She tried to relive those last memories. She had introduced herself then he had taken them all inside to see their rooms before they were going to explore the shrine. She remembered him giving her a short history lesson on the shrine, but she couldn't remember most of it because she had been focusing on the pictures on the wall they were passing. She saw the normal family photos, pictures of the shrine, then the sister's graduation photo.

Ren stopped dead in her tracks. That picture. She remembered thinking that something had happened to the girl because there hadn't been any more pictures with her. But she _knew_ that smile and those eyes. It looked like years had passed, but Ren knew without a doubt that the girl in that picture was the same one that had told her the story. Her mind seemed to spin in circles, revolving around the fact that that was why there were no more pictures of the girl. She had come back here after the graduation. The age was about right, looking at Sota's apparent age in the pictures with Kagome and his age as he had acted as her host.

She began to get the uneasy feeling of being watched. She tried to examine her surroundings, but paused when her eyes fell on a well in the middle of the clearing that she was standing in. That well…she had a sudden flash of an indoor well, looking over the edge, falling…she dropped to her knees, the knowledge that she really was in the past trying to sink in, but she soon began fidgeting as the feeling of being watched became more intense. She quickly looked over her shoulder but saw nothing be trees, so she slowly turned in a circle, examining the tree line for anything suspicious, but still nothing.

"I'll just go back to the village. I have more questions that I need answered, and I think that only Kagome is going to be able to help me figure them out," Ren thought out loud. She took a few steps forward, then stopped, realizing that she didn't have a clue where she was or how to get back. "Shit! I can't believe it. I can time travel but I can't find my way through a stupid forest!" she sarcastically yelled at the sky.

"I can show you the way back."

She spun around, crouching when she saw a boy, no more than twelve or thirteen, walk out of the tree line just to her left. He had a giant grin on his boyish face, his shock of orange hair pulled into a ponytail. His green eyes were sparkling in merriment as he gestured for her to follow him. He waited until she started forward before turning back towards the forest, but no sooner had he turned than she squeaked, "You have a tail!"

He wiggled it playfully, turning around slightly to say, "of course I do. All kitsune have tails. Come on, don't you want to go back now? You've been walking for a while and I know you still aren't fully healed."

Ren shook her head to try to clear her thoughts but she couldn't take her eyes off his tail, although she did start to follow him again. Once they reached the other side of the forest, she managed to ask, "I guess you already know who I am, but may I know your name?"

"Oh, I'm Shippo." She remembered that name from Kagome's story. That's right, she had said that she had found him and pretty much adopted him after a while. But, shouldn't he older?

She didn't realize she had spoken out loud until he answered her. "Demons age differently than humans do. Kitsunes age a little differently than both. I am a hundred years old." But he only looks like a young teenager…he still seemed so innocent to be a hundred.

* * *

Shippo lead her back into the house, sitting her down at the table. She saw Inuyasha sitting next to Kagome, Sesshomaru on the other side from Ren, a man she remembered playing in the corner with a child earlier sitting next to her, and Shippo took the seat next to him. Ren felt uncomfortable with everyone waiting for her to say something. She opened her mouth a few times, but had trouble finding the right words.

"I…I trust you. That what you told me is true. But do you know why I was brought here? If the well has been closed for so long, why me, why now?" Ren asked, looking around the table until the man next to her answered.

"We think that the well brought you back because you are needed, here and now. For what, we do not yet know."

"Sota, show her the coin," Kagome instructed. Ren perked up at the name. That had been the name of her host at the shrine.

"I know that name…Sota. That was the name of the host of the shrine." Kagome's eyes watered a little when Ren said this, and she belatedly wondered if she had hit a nerve, remembering the pictures in the house. "I'm sorry, I just…"

"No, it's okay. He's my brother; we named our son in his memory. I haven't seen him since I came back, thirty odd years ago. Later, I will have you tell me all about him, but not right now," she said with a sad smile. Sota handed her a small silvery metal coin. There weren't any markings on it, but when she touched it, it felt like it had pulsed for a brief second. But that was just silly, she told herself. She looked up as Kagome explained, "We found it in the grass where you had climbed out of the well. You must have brought it with you. Does it look familiar?"

Ren vaguely remembered picking something up, something that had drawn her out to the well house that night, but she couldn't see it clearly then. It didn't look like anything special, though. She reached out to hand it back to Sota, but Kagome stopped her, pointing out that it was hers and perhaps she may discover something new about it later on and to hold on to it. Ren nodded, sliding the coin into her pocket.

"What happens now?" Ren asked. Her question was met with one indifferent glance and four nonplussed stares.


	7. Chapter 7 - A Game of Cat and Mouse

**Chapter 7: A Game of Cat and Mouse**

**Author's Notes: Okay, first my thanks…**

**Review: hapezibah**

**Follows: hapezibah, CuteLittleCupcake, and MourningGlorie**

**Favorites: FlyingPurpleUnicorn (Awesome name, by the way)**

**Alright, secondly, I'd like to apologize for the lateness of the post. I post as I finish each chapter. By this, I mean I write the chapter, read it again to fix missing words and spelling, then I post. If you ask what happens next, 100 to 1: I couldn't tell you because I don't have a clue until it's written. Now, the reason that this was a late is because I am in my finals for college and they are mostly projects for my coding/programming classes, which aren't so much difficult as time-consuming. However, I will be trying very hard to keep faster updates, especially once the finals are over (Dec 13).**

* * *

The next two weeks began a pattern that accomplished two things. First, it provided Ren with the opportunity to learn everything that Kagome had deemed necessary for her to know, and secondly, it helped to keep her distracted enough that by the end of the day she was exhausted enough to sleep without dreams. Every morning started with her normal yoga and meditation. She had learned these two techniques soon after she had begun living on her own. They helped keep her fit when she didn't have time between school and two jobs to actually work out, helped her clear her mind to tackle the day's new challenges, and helped to wake her up when she often only had four or five hours of sleep.

When Kagome had seen her doing her yoga one morning, she had expressed how much she had missed the exercises, so Ren gave her a refresher on the basic poses so that she could do it with her. Soon after, Sango and Masami began joining them for their morning exercises. Even Mana would do some of the children's poses. Jiro and Kikyo had come once, but quickly left as it wasn't enough fun to "stand around doing nothing".

Her daily scheduled alternated between days, one based on training her body to be a fighter followed by a day of training her mind to live in the Feudal era. On educational days, her time was split between Kagome, Sango, Masami, and Sota. Kagome became her confidant, someone who understood some of her more difficult questions. Sango gave her lessons on demons, where they lived, what they looked like, abilities, and weaknesses. She often gave Ren pop quizzes to make sure that she remembered the information from the last session. Ren joined Masami, and often Mana, on their healer rounds, learning about the natural medicines they were able to get from plants and the different treatments for different ailments. Ren seemed to have an exceptionally calming influence on some of the more distressed patients, so Masami had recently sent her with Mana, who seemed to share the gift, to some of the terminally ill to offer what comfort they could. Evenings were spent with Sota, getting to know the history, but mainly the politics of the current affairs. He even knew an amazing amount of demon politics, tradition, and culture. Ren found those aspects the most interesting, often having lengthy discussions with Sota about certain aspects. He also expanded her knowledge of the Japanese language, making it easier for her to communicate more efficiently.

On fighting days, she would start first with Kagome for archery in the early morning. Although she'd never practiced archery before, she seemed like a natural. Her shots quickly became more accurate and she had to spend less time preparing the shots. Her later mornings were spent with Sango, being taught a multitude of the demon slayer weapons. She was a fair shot with these, but they were often difficult for her to accustom to, and even once she had, her hit percentage was still at best fifty-fifty. They always broke for the noon meal, Ren often helping to prepare it, and the room was filled with idle conversation while they ate.

Her afternoons were spent first with Inuyasha for hand-to-hand combat followed by swordsmanship with Sesshomaru. These were brutal for her body. She knew that Inuyasha was not using his full power against her, but even when he wasn't at full speed, she still only managed to land one or two hits during their sessions while she had earned eight to ten bruises or cuts, always minor but generally irritating. Inuyasha would praise her ability to dodge, and quickly decided that he should try to strength that area, saying that she would stand a better chance of dodging or escaping a fight until someone could help her than if she tried to fight a demon up close by herself.

Sesshomaru did not seem to be as gentle with the sword play. Even with practice swords made of wood, she had numerous cuts and bruises that had taken days to stop hurting. He seemed to be using just enough of his strength to make her submit every time. She was able to dodge a few blows, but he was so difficult to read for her to try to predict his next move that he often surprised her from the opposite direction. He did not make comments often, usually only commands to pick up her sword or take a better stance. The only other comment he had made was their last day of sparring before he left for a while.

* * *

"This will be the last session for some time," Sesshomaru announced when she met him in the cleared field they had been using for sparring. Ren wanted to ask why, but she knew she wouldn't get a response. Since they had begun training, he barely answered any questions she had, typically just commanding her to do it again. She resigned herself to losing some practice while he was away. While the training was torture for her body, she didn't want to lose the progress she was making if he was going to be gone for long.

She got into her ready stance, testing the weight of the sword in her hand. Every day, Sesshomaru brought her a different sword, stating that she needed to learn flexibility in case she lost her own sword and had to use another's. This one was slightly lighter than the others, but also longer. She tilted her hand to the right and left, testing the balance, noticing a slight heaviness on the left side. She knew that he was watching her; he always gave her a few moments to feel out the sword, for which she was grateful. She saw his hand flex; it was almost imperceptible, but she had caught it. Then he attacked.

* * *

They had been at it for almost two hours when he swung around and his sword came down on her wrist, making her drop her sword.

"You are not trying hard enough. How will you ever be able to protect yourself if you cannot even hold on to your sword?" Sesshomaru taunted.

Knowing that she wasn't going to have a chance to pick it up before he was on her again, she decided that she would treat this like a real fight. She ran.

She ran as fast as she could towards the forest. Her mind was ticking through the things that Sango had taught her about Inu demons. Acute hearing, exceptional sense of smell, and they were excellent trackers. She knew that he was fast enough to easily catch her, but she had to try to make her point. She may never be physically strong enough to beat a demon, but she was sure that she'd be able to out-smart them. She remembered seeing a medium-sized cherry blossom tree, far away from the well, surrounded by a pretty dense coup of trees. If she could make it there, her scent would blend in with the flowery tree. She had overheard Inuyasha mention one night that the house always smelled of cherry blossoms in the morning and that somehow it was her scent. She just hoped he was right.

She almost laughed when she saw the tree she was searching for. She gave an extra burst of speed, putting her foot on the trunk and jumping up to the first branch. She climbed until she was sitting in the middle of the tree, well hidden, but with a view of the ground. She began meditating, trying to calm her breathing and heartbeat so that he wouldn't hear them among the noises from the farmers just on the other side of the trees.

* * *

"What is she trying to accomplish by running away?" Sesshomaru thought. He had seen the look in her eyes right before she had taken off. It hadn't been fear, it had been determination and defiance. "Well, I will just show her that she cannot escape her fights anymore than she can hope to win them." He took off at a slight run, confident that he would soon catch her.

The breeze brought him the scent of cherry blossoms, and giving a small smirk, he began heading in that direction. Did she really think that she could run from him. He had given her more credit than she way due. He slowed down as he approached a close crop of trees, intent on capturing her by surprise. He slipped past the last few trees when he stood staring at a cherry blossom tree. He couldn't believe it, the smell had been from the tree, not the girl, but now all he could smell was the flowery tree. He concentrated on sound, since smell was no longer an option. He heard the native insects, birds, and small wildlife. He also heard the few farmers tended their crops on the other side of the trees, but nothing to indicate that the girl was here. He tried for her aura and was almost surprised to find it right above him, in the tree.

Clever girl. She had managed to fool two of his senses, using the environment to her advantage. Perhaps he should focus on the girl's cunning when teaching her swordsmanship. He admitted that he had been slightly unfair towards her, teaching her techniques that only worked with speed or brute strength, but he had not wanted to waste time with someone who was unworthy, believing that she would quickly quit. But her display had altered his mind on her worthiness and perseverance. He would continue testing her, but he had some hope that he could turn her into a descent swordsman, at least for a human.

He slowly backed away from the tree, sure to make it appear that he was confused to her trail. Once inside the dense tree coverage, he quickly sprinted around the circle until he was behind where the girl was sitting in the tree. He ran forward, leaping into the tree to land silently on the branch directly in front of her. She had her eyes closed, obviously in some type of meditation, but her brow was furrowed, lips pulled down into a frown. He reached forward to wake her, but before he had touched her, her eyes shot open, took one look at him, gave a strangled yelp and promptly fell out of the tree.

* * *

She had been able to slow her breathing and heart rate down enough that he shouldn't be able to hear it, not above the other myriad noises. With her eyes closed, she tried to imagine how Sesshomaru saw the world. Cherry blossoms was the most prevalent smell, but the breeze brought some of the roasting smells from the village fires. She also caught a whiff of almond that shouldn't belong. It wasn't strong but it seemed to be coming from right below her. Her ear caught just the slightest creak as a branch moved, but the wind wasn't strong enough to move a branch that size, so she assumed that he must be getting close. She tried to concentrate for any other sound to know whether he had been fooled by her trick but she heard nothing else. She felt the branch she was sitting on shift slightly under her and she quickly opened her eyes. White hair surrounding a pale face and golden eyes met her startled gaze. She gave a strangled yelp as her body tried to get away from the threat of his presence, taking her right off the branch. She fell backwards, staring up at an empty tree as she braced her body for impact with the ground. Just as she was beginning to wonder how far she had actually climbed into the tree, she felt something hit her back and legs at the same time. She was quickly coming to a stop, nestled against something warm. She looked over her left side and saw the ground only a few feet away, but no longer moving closer. Looking to her right, she saw something that made her want to hide. Anything would be better than facing him. Obviously, she had not hidden herself as well as she had hoped.

"He's warm," she idly thought. Weird that he was warm physically but so icy personally. She started wondering why he hadn't put her down or dropped her yet, but as she opened her mouth to ask to be released, he began to speak. She was so distracted by the way his chest rumbled against her side that she almost missed hearing what he said.

"I have been unfair in training you." She quickly looked up at his face. His eyes were on hers and he looked slightly…sheepish. "You showed great promise in cunning and self-preservation. You used the environment to your advantage to hinder your opponent's strengths. I had been teaching you styles that you never could have excelled in, having neither the strength nor the speed to succeed." He gently set her back on her feet.

"So, you're saying that you _intentionally_ taught me styles that I couldn't possibly hope to beat you in?" She turned to face his fully, eyes glaring. He gave a single nod of his head that fuelled her anger at his ploy. "Why? Why did you want me to fail? I thought that you were supposed to help make me stronger, so that I could help accomplish whatever I was sent back here to do. Or did you think that if you taught me a style more appropriate that I might actually beat you?"

Her voice was steady and forceful, never screaming. Sesshomaru could almost see the fury radiating off of her. "I did not believe that you would make a passable swordsman, in any style. I did not wish to waste time training you for you to quit as most humans do. I apologize for underestimating your abilities and perseverance." He was not often wrong, but he would admit it if he was, instead of holding on to the false idea. There was nothing that he despised more than lies.

The anger seemed to drain out of her after his apology. Her face fell into a frown and her eyes glazed over as though she was stuck in a memory. He gently tipped her chin up, forcing her to look at him, drawing her out of the memory. "When I return, we will begin anew. I will train you to take advantage of your cunning and intellect. For now, I will teach you strengthening poses to practice until I return." With that, he lead her back to the dirt circle, watching her intently. She still seemed to be trapped in her memory, but he believed that the exercises would help her focus. And they did. Soon after he showed her the first few poses and moves, she quickly began to smile and brighten into the young woman that he had been sparring with for the last two weeks.


	8. Chapter 8 - The Two Sided Coin

**Chapter 8: The Two Sided Coin**

**Author's Note: I am so very sorry about the lapse in postings. I hit a major writer's block. More like a wall, a very solid wall, but thankfully after more weeks than I wanted of swinging a sledgehammer at it, I **_**finally**_** knocked it down! So, *fingers crossed* you hopefully will be getting updates a little more regularly. I do appreciate the reviews and favorites. If you think I'm taking too long updating, feel free to threaten me with a pitchfork or a whip to write faster. Again, this is a free flowing, unstructured story, if you really want to see something happen, even if it is something super small, I'd be more than happy to write it in for you. **

* * *

The path to the northern kingdom was short and bleak. Sesshomaru made it to the northern kingdom in just one full day's travel. He traveled at a leisurely pace since he wasn't particularly enthused about the proposed alliance between the north and the west. The north did not have much to offer in skills or trade. They were a people who lived in extravagance, placing emphasis on luxuries and pleasures over skills or training. The north bought much of the products from the eastern and southern kingdoms and protection from the west, but without a contractual alliance, the north was left open to any attacks if the west withdrew its support. The north did not supply the west with any supplies except luxury items that could be bartered with the other kingdoms for any necessary supplements. However, if the west allowed violence to break out in the northern kingdom, it would soon spread to other kingdoms, causing annoying disturbances for his troops to handle.

Walking into the main court, bypassing the unmanned gates and empty towers, Sesshomaru was greeted with bows from all of the dressed nobles leisurely strolling around the immaculate garden. A child, one of the Lord's personal servants no doubt, came sliding to a halt in front of Sesshomaru, bowing low to the ground and saying in a formal tone, "Lord Ryota is awaiting your presence in the main chambers. If you will follow me." With that, he headed back towards the palace, not even ensuring that Sesshomaru was following him.

Although Sesshomaru was well equipped and prepared to deal with the politics that ruled the Northern kingdom, he abhorred the emphasis on birth ranks with no measurable credit or skill. Lord Ryota was older than Sesshomaru but had not been Lord of his lands as long as Sesshomaru. Ryota had the most irritating and condescending manner, even with Sesshomaru. He only tolerated it because his father had been close allies with Ryota's father.

Entering the grand hall, Sesshomaru noticed Ryota sitting at the head of the long table. He was wearing extravagant clothes and surrounded by servants, laughing at something that one of his noblemen said. Something remarkably trivial, no doubt. Sesshomaru simply stood at the end of the table while the young servant that had led him whispered in his lord's ear. Ryota looked up quickly and a sly grin washed across his face.

"Sesshomaru!" his voiced echoed across the hall. "We've been waiting for you to accept our invitation. Come, come join us!" Sesshomaru was displeased with his effusive greeting. He could barely manage to be civil to the other lord. Well, just a few days; he could manage for a few days…

* * *

Just two days. Just two had passed and without Sesshomaru's exhausting training she wouldn't be tired enough to not dream. The first night she spent up discussing the different kingdoms and their main exports and imports. She was slightly surprised at how sophisticated the arrangement was. The east was mostly farming land, heavily populated with humans. The south produced many of the textiles and hand crafted goods that needed a highly skilled craftsman. The west was predominately military, which explained much about Sesshomaru's fighting abilities and warrior personality. The north was for the nobles. They didn't produce anything except a few fine art items, but they purchased much of the goods from the east and south. She fell asleep while they were discussing the implications of an alliance between the north and west, which was currently proposed.

On the next day, she tried to push herself harder with Inuyasha's training to ensure that she would be tired enough to sleep. He commented on her enthusiasm, but kept her from pushing herself too hard. Not nearly tired enough, she disappeared to the cherry blossom tree and practiced the moves that Sesshomaru had given her before he left. She tried to imitate the graceful and flowing movement that Sesshomaru seemed to achieve effortlessly. Her movements gradually became more fluid, not quite achieving Sesshomaru's grace, but coming much closer. She kept practicing until her arms were too tired to lift her sword into position.

She slowly climbed up into the tree, sitting on the same branch that she had two days ago when she had hidden from Sesshomaru. The sun had set and the air was warm. Leaning against the trunk, she closed her eyes, letting the smell of cherry blossoms help relax her exhausted body. Just a hint of almond mixed in with the flowers, reminding her of Sesshomaru.

"I wonder how it is going. It must have been important, but he didn't seem too anxious about it. Well, I don't think that he gets anxious about anything, really. He's just so damn calm all the time!" Ren gave a sigh of exasperation. People used to say that she was always calm and that nothing perturbed her, but Sesshomaru showed even her up. People...but she still couldn't remember anyone other than Sota, the one in the future. "Why can't I remember anyone?" she pondered, putting her head in her hands. "I can remember all of the places, all the classes, just not the people." Every time she tried to recall them, all that she could get was blurry images. She shook her head, leaning back against the tree.

"I'll just rest for a bit before going back to the village," she thought, but soon the combination of warm air and the flowery fragrance lulled her to sleep, right there in the tree.

* * *

Inuyasha had followed her to the tree, just to calm his mind about her "all-in" attitude today. Something hadn't been right, she was trying too hard; she would have easily worn herself out. Kagome used to throw herself into work when she was upset about something, but he wasn't sure what might be bothering Ren and he didn't want to pressure her into talking if she wasn't ready. He stayed long enough to realize that she was practicing sword movements, before returning to relate his observations to Kagome. She'd have a better idea about what might be bothering the girl.

* * *

Kagome was just setting the table for dinner when Inuyasha walked in. He came up behind her giving her a tight hug, before helping set the rest of the food on the table. It was just them tonight, everyone else having other business to attend to. It wasn't often that they shared a meal between just the two of them, and Kagome treasured the times they did.

The meal was eaten peacefully and in comfortable silence. When they finished, he helped her wash all of the dishes, putting them away before he grabbed her hand, leading her to the porch. He got into the hammock, pulling her in with him. Kagome had made it soon after they had finished building the house and had him hang it in the corner to catch most of the breezes. They had often spent nights lying together before Kagome had had Jiro. After that, they had used it mostly to rock the children to sleep when they were fussy. He slowly started it swinging, cradling Kagome into his side. She snuggled into him, relaxing in his embrace.

"I think something may be bothering Ren," Inuyasha said quietly. Kagome looked up for more explanation. "She was trying too hard today. Pushing herself past her limits. I toned down the exercises so she wouldn't hurt herself, but she seemed like she was trying to focus on the fighting to avoid thinking about something else. Do you know what?"

Kagome thought about it for a moment then said "I think that she is still trying to adjust to being here. It's a lot to handle. When I got here, I didn't have much time to think about anything between dealing with you," she gave him a loving smile, "and anything and everything trying to kill me. I think that we've been keeping her so busy that she hasn't had to process through her thoughts, but now that Sesshomaru is gone, I think that she is finding herself with time and is trying to avoid confronting her fears."

"What can we do?" Inuyasha asked. Kagome gave a small shrug. "Well, Sesshomaru sent word that he will be gone at least two more days. The Northern Lord wanted an answer to the proposed alliance with the West."

"I wonder how that's going," Kagome said. It was Inuyasha's turn to shrug as he proceeded to swing contently in silence, enjoying the solitude.

* * *

"I have already told you that I will not agree to a proposal of marriage as the basis for an alliance. Lord Ryota, I am the only remaining eligible male of the Inu family. Therefore, it is my heirs that will be in line for ruling the Western kingdom. I will not allow the Panther tribe to rule two kingdoms by virtue of mating. We must find some other method of alliance," Sesshomaru declared. "I have explained the options. Choose one. I will return at the end of Autumn to receive your answer." Sesshomaru left Ryota open-mouthed and staring while he made his exit to the gardens.

"That imbecilic fool! He dared summon me to try to force an alliance of marriage so that he could rule two kingdoms," Sesshomaru thought as he paced outside. "I would never allow the Panther tribe to have a foothold in the Western kingdom. And that daughter of his! Weak willed and incessantly whining." After spending several meals with her, it was becoming difficult to resist the urge to strangle her. Moving back into the castle towards his own room, a breeze swept through the windows, swirling around and fluttering his clothes. It carried the distinct scent of Ren...no, not Ren, just cherry blossoms. "How unusual that I would think of her first when I smell that flower," Sesshomaru thought, but quickly put it out of his mind as he entered his room. One more night, then he would head back.

* * *

Resting fitfully in the tree, rustling leaves woke her. Slowly opening her eyes, she examined her surroundings, feeling like something was coming. Another rustle caught her attention and she glanced down, peering through the branches, searching the ground below for signs of the disturbance. Limbs on the far side of the copse swayed as a young girl, maybe ten years old came out. Even from her position in the tree, Ren could see that she looked terrified, trying to move forward even when she looked like she would pass out from exhaustion. The girl looked around frantically, searching for a hiding place, Ren guessed. She didn't know what was chasing the girl, but she couldn't leave her to face it on her own. She climbed down a few branches until the girl would be able to see her and gave a soft whistle to get her attention. She spun around quickly, jumping at the sound, preparing to flee.

"I won't hurt you. You can hide up here," Ren whispered. The girl gave one desperate look behind her then ran forward, leaping up to grab Ren's extended hand. She quickly hauled her up, helping her climb farther up, positioning her on her lap on her earlier perch. The younger girl clung to her, shaking periodically, burying her face into her chest. Ren wrapped her arms around her, trying to give as much comfort as she could. Ren rocked softly side to side, and then began a very low hum to try to calm her down more. The young girl gradually began to still, her breathing slowing down into a sleeping rhythm, her eyelids closing over her haunted eyes. Ren watched over her until the sun rose, constantly on guard, waiting for the little girl's pursuer, but it never showed.

* * *

The young girl began thrashing around, almost throwing both herself and Ren out of the tree before Ren was able to wake her. She began sobbing, intermittently telling her story. Once she began to calm down, Ren started to piece together her story.

Two demons came upon her family while they were traveling. Her mother never had a chance, and the large demon quickly overcame her father while the smaller one captured her brother. In all the commotion the young girl was able to escape. She knew that neither of her parent's had survived, but she was positive that the demons had taken her brother. He was all the family that she had left and she was determined to find him.

Flashbacks of her own parent's murder momentarily paralyzed Ren, until she felt small hands shaking her. "Shh, shh, it'll be alright now. My name is Ren, what's your name?"

She looked startled but slowly answered, "Kasumi."

"That's a lovely name. Well, Kasumi, if you want to find your brother, I know someone that can help you. Can I take you to him?"

Kasumi warily nodded her head. Ren helped her get down from the tree and began to lead her towards the village, Kasumi following with a vice grip on her hand. Ren babbled on about the village and her newfound friends, but mostly about Sesshomaru – never mentioning his name, just his personality, their training.

They had almost reached the village when Ren thought, "I just wish that he'd be there to help her."

* * *

The village was just waking up when Ren brought Kasumi back. They received greetings from the men heading to tend the livestock or work in the fields, the women carrying their youngest children to help harvest in the fields alongside their men or down to the river to doing the laundry. The older children ran ahead towards the river to fish upstream of the women. A few women stayed behind as caretakers to the youngest children that couldn't accompany their mothers. Kasumi held tightly to Ren's hand as she led her through to Kagome's house. Ren could see Inuyasha and Kagome cuddled together in the hammock on the porch, but both got up as she reached the steps.

"Good morning Kagome, Inuyasha," Ren greeted them. Kagome gave her a big grin then looked down at Kasumi who was hiding behind Ren's legs. "Kagome this is Kasumi." Ren kneeled down and coaxed the young girl to her side. "Kasumi, this is my good friend Kagome. She's going to take you inside and get cleaned up and then you can eat. Is that alright?" Kasumi slowly nodded her head and took Kagome's outstretched hand. With one quick wink towards Ren, Kagome led her into the house while Ren spoke to Inuyasha.

"I fell asleep in the forest and woke up when she came running through. She looked like death itself was chasing her so I got her up in the tree with me. I stayed up the rest of the night, but nothing else came out after her. She's lost both her parents and she thinks that they took her brother."

Inuyasha thought for a moment, then asked Ren to take him to where she had meet Kasumi. It was about a half hour walk, at Ren's speed, but he could still smell the young girl's path. "Hop on my back, I can track her much better if we go at _my_ speed," Inuyasha said. Ren's cheeks colored slightly in chagrin before he helped her onto his back. She was pretty tall for a girl, around five foot seven, even slightly taller than Inuyasha, but she felt like a little kid when she was riding piggy-back. Before she really had time to contemplate her situation, she became engrossed in the scenery blur. She knew that he could move faster than a human, as she had seen him do in their training sometimes, but to actually go that fast herself was a thrilling experience. The world was reduced to a roaring wind and all of the colors were shades of blue and green. She was almost disappointed when she was able to make out individual trees from the blur as he slowed down. When he sat her down, she turned in a slow circle. They were on the shore of a beautiful lake that was crystal clear and sparkling in the rising sun. It was ideal for a picnic, so picturesque. As she finished her circle, she saw what had been blocked by Inuyasha when he had first set her down. A woman, throat slit - nearly beheaded, body thrown like trash to the side, another body that was almost too mangled to identify, except for a long, cat-like tail lying limp at the side. Her mind overlaid images of her own parents, their lifeless eyes, staring at her. She dropped to her knees, and crumpled into a ball, crying so hard that she had to gasp for air. She closed her eyes to the scene, but the images were still there, unrelenting, forcing the memories that she had tried so hard to push away, to forget, to come crashing back.

* * *

Inuyasha was intent on the scents that floated around the clearing. The steady breeze blowing off the lake cleared away the heaviest scents, leaving only a trace of the individual smells. He could identify all of them, the mother, father, Kasumi, and another closely related male - the missing brother. But he couldn't find a single scent to attach to the attackers. He started to search around the clearing for footprints and claw marks when he heard a thud followed by sobbing, not loud but the kind that nearly tears your heart apart just hearing it. He turned to find Serenity curled into a ball, gasping for air between the sobs. He slowly approached her, calling her name, but she was dead to the world, stuck in her mind. He cradled her, slowly rocking her, whispering condolences to her, unsure of how to handle this woman. Picking her up, he ran at top speed back to Kagome.

* * *

Kagome got the young girl washed up, all the while examining her. She looked scared, her eyes shifting constantly, but she didn't appear to be underfed, so she must have had a decent life before the attack. Her hair was coming loose from its braiding, so Kagome quickly undid it and washed it, then re-braided it. Fixing her a bowl of porridge, she sat her down at the table to eat. Watching as she slowly sniffed before taking a small spoonful, Kagome began preparing breakfast for the others. She knew Inuyasha would have wanted to check out the scene first but he'd be back soon, hungry as ever. She smiled as she set two more bowls plus her own on the table next to Kasumi.

"What is this?" Kasumi asked shyly. She'd been examining something in her hand and held it out for Kagome to see. It was the coin that had been found with Ren.

"It's Ren's, the girl who brought you here. We found it with her when she got here," Kagome explained. "I guess she must have dropped it on the table sometime. May it see it?"

Kasumi slid the coin across the table to Kagome. "I don't remember there being markings on this before," Kagome thought to herself. But there they were, on one side was the crescent moon of the West with the symbol for protector and on the other a cherry blossom with the symbol for savior. Kasumi set her bowl to the side and gave a big yawn, so Kagome suggested that she take a nap. She knew things were bound to get hectic later so the girl might as well get all the sleep she could when she could. Kagome led Kasumi into a spare room at the far end of the house so that conversations in the kitchen wouldn't wake her and tucked her in just like she did with Jiro and Kikyo when they decided to sleep inside instead of in the forest.

* * *

By the time Inuyasha reached the house, Ren's sobs were a little softer and her breathing was less ragged, but he couldn't tell if she was awake or not. As soon as he entered the house, he went directly to Ren's room and laid her gently on the bed, covering her with the blanket. Kagome came in shortly from the garden where she'd been tending, immediately throwing a look at Inuyasha which meant "Explain this, now" and began checking for fever or physical ailments.

"I don't know what happened. She was fine until we go to the attack site. Kasumi's parents' bodies were still there. Then she just broke down. I don't know what caused it, maybe it is a side effect of the head injury. She was fine and then she just started crying. She hasn't said a word since. Kagome could see her eyes moving restlessly under her eyelids, but she didn't respond to her name or even shaking. Periodically, she would twitch or jump a little, but no sound. Inuyasha looked to Kagome as she stood up, but she trembled slightly and her face was pale. He was cradling her against him in a second, telling her that she was going to be fine, she just needed some time, she'd pull through. Kagome gave a weak smile and patted Inuyasha's arm lovingly.

"I know sweetheart. I'm just at a loss as to what is causing it. I'd better call Masami in to help, and Mana. She might be able to calm her mind." Kagome gave Inuyasha one more tight squeeze before getting up and straightening the blankets around Ren, getting her into a more comfortable position. She was just laying Ren's hands on the blanket when she noticed something on her wrist that she hadn't seen before. Just underneath the slightly yellow skin from the bruises that Sesshomaru had given her when she first arrived was a blue crescent moon, identical to Sesshomaru's. She opened her mouth to mention it to Inuyasha, but thought the better. More mysteries right now would only cause more confusion. "Let's solve one at a time," she thought to herself as she pulled the screen shut, leaving Ren in silence.

* * *

Sesshomaru was making his way swiftly to his own kingdom. Just that morning he had received urgent news of a bandit group that had eluded all capture and was killing his citizens and kidnapping the sons. He had heard rumors about a group that had killed a family at the border of his lands and had sent five of his best trackers to capture them. The letter had been written by his second-in-command and his best tracker that there were no traces of the group to be found but that there had been three more killings, all families with the oldest son taken while the rest of the family was slaughtered. A group of demons that his best trackers could not locate did not bode well, portending a dangerous evil that he wanted to deal with as efficiently as possible. If he had not been completely focused on his task, he might have noticed the small marking that had appeared on his left wrist: a cherry blossom in magenta.


	9. Chapter 9 - Captured in the Memories

**Chapter 9: Captured in the Memories**

**Author's Note: Will be at the end this time. A little warning, this chapter is a bit darker than previous ones.**

* * *

"It's been two days. We have to find some way to wake her up! We need more help, but Sesshomaru's note said that he is tracking down the family killers and he won't be back for a while," Inuyasha told Kagome.

"I know, Inuyasha, but I've tried everything I know. Masami said that her aura is dark and it appears that she is either trapped in a dream or a memory. We cannot help her either way until she wakes up and finds her own way out," Kagome said mournfully. She had grown quite attached to the young woman and was saddened by the amount of pain, fear, and sadness that Inuyasha said she radiating. He had had to stay at Masami's house with Ichiro because Ren's flaring emotions grated against his nerves if he was near for too long. She gently touched his forearm to get his attention again as his head had turned to Ren's room. "I need you to bring Rin here, Inuyasha. I need her help talking to Kasumi. She's seemed to have made an instant attachment to Ren, helping to take care of her, and she seems generally cheerful, but I saw her sitting in the garden earlier, crying. I think that Rin would be the best person to help her deal with the death of her parents, since she lost her own about the same age."

"Of course, 'Gome," he said, giving her a peck on the cheek as he gave one last look-in on Ren, before heading out. Heading up through the forest towards Rin's house, Inuyasha thought about how attached everyone seemed to be to Ren. She'd been with them less than month but they all adored her. Minus her propensity for getting hurt, she was just like every other member of the huge family. Starting out with just his mother, Inuyasha cherished each member, even the extended ones like Rin and her family. Kagome always managed to keep everyone together, despite the large age and species differences. Even Sesshomaru visited more often and wasn't _always_ trying to fight him. Inuyasha chuckled to himself. If Kagome could work that miracle, then she would able to help Ren and so Inuyasha continued his trek with a lighter heart.

* * *

Ren was starring at a little girl, curled up in a corner of the dark, windowless room that she was standing in. The walls appeared to be concrete, with just one door into the room that was locked tight. The door had one small rectangular barred window at the top, maybe five and a half feet from the floor. She wasn't sure if the little girl was asleep or just quiet, but she walked slowly over to put a hand on her shoulder and comfort her, saying, "Shh, everything will be okay..." but as she placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, it went right through. The girl didn't even appear to hear that she had spoken.

"What...the...hell?" Ren turned in a circle, taking a closer look around. There was barely anything in the prison, which is what this undoubtedly was, just a few tattered blankets on the floor and an empty tray. There was one mark on the wall, scratched into the concrete, on the same wall as the door. Ren got closer to try and see what it was, then backed away quickly when she recognized it - a western dragon holding a flower in its front claws. She knew that symbol, it was her own design. Her mother had written a short series of children's books, strictly for her to read growing up, about a little dragon that went on a quest to find the last of a very special flower. She spun around quickly when she heard the girl move, backing against the wall as she looked into the girl's eyes...her own eyes!

* * *

Sesshomaru was beginning to get annoyed. This was the fourth attack site that he had investigated and he had nothing to show for it except for a few more lumps on Jaken's head. The toad had been more aggravating than usual and had the marks to prove it. Each site was the same - immense quantities of blood, all belonging to the deceased family, scents belonging to the family, but nothing of the attackers. Even the oldest son's scent vanished after a two minute walk, not by natural dispersion. Something had simply erased it. Sesshomaru had neither heard nor read about any ability that could remove scents. Reduce them but not erase them completely. There were no prints or markings to even show that there had been an attack except for the mangled bodies.

"Jaken, return to the West and tell Satoru to begin drilling the troops to prepare for an unseen enemy."

"Yes, milord, of course milord," Jaken sputtered, bowing before turning to Ah-Un and taking to the sky.

An uneasy wind ruffled Sesshomaru's clothing as he turned, heading toward Totosai. The old man may know something about these new attacks. After that, he would head back to train Ren. She was going to need much more work if she was going to able to survive against these scentless attackers.

* * *

The scenes continued to play past, sometimes skipping sections where she slept or speeding up when she was meandering around the small cell. Two months of her life that she had tried to forget were playing like a movie around her that she had to watch. A tray was placed in the room with a meager piece of bread and a small cup of water daily. At first, she refused to eat, leaving the tray where it is was placed, but soon hunger and thirst won over her caution that it may be poisoned. Frequently each week, the man she had nicknamed Small Boots came for a visit. She watched as her younger self was molested, repeatedly, sometimes screaming and fighting back, other times too exhausted from starvation to resist much. She heard Big Boots voice occasionally outside the door, but he never entered the room. She never saw Hammer again.

It had been her first night in the prison when she had etched the dragon into the wall with a tiny piece of stone she had found in the corner. That had been her declaration that she was going to find some way to free herself. Her parents had been the only family that she had, so there was no one else to rescue her and she would just have to do it herself. She examined every inch of the room that she could, but didn't find so much as a crack, or any other useful rubble or debris. She had listened intently to Big Boots and Small Boots any time they spoke outside her cell, but they only mentioned the passage of time. Whenever Small Boots made one of his visits, Big Boots let him in and out at predetermined times. The door was bolted from the outside with no key. The window was too high for her smaller self to be able to see through, and when Ren went up to it, there was nothing but blankness, almost like an absence of an image. She supposed it was because this was formed from her memories, and she didn't have any memories of looking out of it.

Two months flashed through in much the same manner. Nothing extraordinary happened, besides the visits which were becoming more and more aggressive. The last session left large bruises across her small torso, legs, and arms. The last day, there was a loud commotion in the hallway outside her cell. She could hear Big Boots yelling at Small Boots, about how he had targeted the wrong family, that they had wasted two months, and it was useless to try and go after the correct target since they were now in protective custody. There was a string of curses, followed by the sounds of strangled cries as she heard something slam into the door of her cell.

"Cleaning up the loose ends" was the response to a question that she didn't hear while the cries became progressively softer and then ceased, followed by a thud of something falling to the floor. Ren crouched in the corner next to her younger self, living in the terror of the moment and forgetting that she was only watching what had already happened. The bolt slid across with a jerk, followed by the door being pushed swiftly open. Silhouetted by the light was the massive figure of Big Boots. He raised his massive boot to step over the crumpled figure of Small Boots on the floor, but was halted before he had taken the step inside the room. A hand reached out from beyond the edge of the doorway and grasped Big Boots' arm, swinging him into the wall on the opposite side of the hallway.

The mysterious stranger stepped forward, pummeling into Big Boots. It was a man, judging from the height and strength, but his back was to her and she couldn't see his face. It took only a second for the younger Ren to see her opportunity and run, leaping over Small Boot's body, pausing momentarily to decide whether to run right or left, when she saw the stranger point emphatically to the left. She decided to trust him, since he was letting her escape, so she turned left and ran. When she reached the end of the corridor, she glanced for just a moment back down the hall and saw the stranger twist Big Boots head until she heard the crack, an impressive feat since it was extremely thick, and he fell to the floor. The stranger turned to face her, but did not move towards her. He wore a plain white mask with a pink five-petal flower on the forehead and his neck had a jagged scar that crossed diagonally from right to left. The rest of his body was covered in black clothing and a black hood. He gave a slight nod of his head and Ren was pulled away, being dragged by the memories as the younger girl continued running, away from her savior, her captures, her prison.

* * *

"Masami, you need to get some food and sleep," Sota said as he entered the room. Masami looked exhausted. In fact, she hadn't slept since their mother had asked for her assistance. Masami gave Sota a weak smile, accepting his offered hand to help her from the chair next to Ren's bed. "Don't worry, I will stand watch until you come back, but not before you've eaten and slept," he said, shaking his finger at her. Her eyes light up as she chuckled, snatching at his finger as he pulled it away, giving her a hug as he led her out of the room.

Knowing that Masami would follow his advice, Sota took the empty seat beside the bed. He examined Ren for any changes, but nothing. Her eyes still flickered underneath her lids, but she was still seemingly lost in her mind. Sota hesitantly reached out, taking Ren's hand in his own and gently straightening her fingers out from their clenched position. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him, how much he had enjoyed their nightly history lessons, how much he had missed her enchanting laughter or the way her eyes would light up when he told her one of the humorous tales of Kagome and Inuyasha's traveling days, how her forehead would wrinkle when she was confused and asked a question or the smile that would replace it when she got an answer…but he couldn't form a single sentence, so he continued to sit there, holding her hand.

"Serenity? Please wake up. We need you…I need you. Please wake up," Sota continued whispering his mantra, over and over again. If she could hear him, maybe it would help her return to them, to him. If she couldn't, at least he felt like he was _doing_ something.

* * *

Totosai was less than helpful. All the old man could tell him was that the world's balance was off. Something had disrupted the natural order of the world and that somehow these attackers were exploiting this imbalance. He mentioned some legend concerning the Dragon Sisters, but said that nobody knew who or what they were, or where they were. That was all that Sesshomaru had been able to get out of the old man. He was irritated with the lack of information, but had immediately headed back to train Ren. They were going to need a strategy to lure the attackers out and for that he would consult with Sota. Despite being human, the man had a great knowledge of military techniques and strategies. When he had been a child, Sesshomaru had taught him the game Go and Sota had quickly surprised him with his grasp of the strategy involved. It would take him one more day to get there, and then preparations could be made to eradicate this annoyance.

* * *

Ren felt as though she was being pulled backwards, falling through blackness, when she stopped suddenly and gasped. Opening her eyes, she saw the inside of her room in Kagome's house. Her body felt stiff, but she didn't feel hurt. Her brain seemed to pound with everything that she remembered now, her family, their death, her captivity, her escape and her attempt to move on with her life. She looked over to see Sota slumped over the edge of the bed, holding her hand in his. Beside her, on the bed, was a stack of papers and a charcoal stick. He must have been writing when he fell asleep. Slowly, as to not wake him, she pulled her hand free and snagged the next clean sheet of paper and the charcoal stick. She propped her knees up to give her a flat surface and took the empty tray beside her to use as a drawing surface. She started sketching, using her memories to aid her, drawing a portrait of her parents as she remembered them, when they had taken her for a picnic in the country. It wasn't until she had finished and was scrutinizing her work that she realized that she had an audience. Sota had sat up and was peering over her shoulder, Kasumi was at the door holding onto an older woman's hand.

Ren flashed a brilliant smile, saying "Good morning." Kasumi launched herself at Ren, giving her a great bear hug, while Rin walked up and introduced herself. Sota quickly explained that she had been comatose for two days. He quirked his eyebrow at her picture, waiting for an explanation.

"It's my parents. They were murdered when I was twelve." Her eyes were slightly unfocused as she looked down at the picture, but she managed to tell the whole story, encouraged by Rin and Kasumi, and occasionally by Sota, although he was scribbling something down furiously. She related all that she had seen in her memories, and had explained how she had escaped and found a home with an older couple that adopted her as a "long-lost granddaughter" without asking her any questions about her past. She had lived with them until their death, when she had entered college and gotten a small apartment with the money that Grandpa Jo had given her before his death.

She felt a tremendous sense of relief as she told her story to them, as though a great shadow had been lifted from around her. For another hour, the women set themselves into stitches by relating some of the funniest memories that they had of their families. As Rin and Kasumi told their stories, Ren began sketching, drawing both Rin's and Kasumi's families from their descriptions. She showed them to great admiration from Rin and Kasumi. Ren then suggested a plan that would help all three of them find closure and move on. Since none of them had been able to give a proper funeral, they would have a mock funeral. They would burn a picture of their family and say goodbye. Ren quickly sketched out a second portrait for Rin and Kasumi to keep while the first would be the one that would be burned. After effusive thanks for the pictures, Rin took Kasumi to prepare for the burning.

Ren gave a small groan as she tried to sit up, but her muscles seemed to be uncooperative. Sota quickly gave her a helping hand, letting her lean on him as she shuffled around the room, trying to stretch out some of her tightened muscles. After a short stint, she plopped back onto the edge of the bed, giving an exaggerated sigh as she smiled up with gratitude at Sota.

"Why don't you lie down, and I'll give you a massage. That should help with the stiffness," Sota offered. Ren missed the tinting of his cheeks as she gave an appreciative groan and lay down on her stomach. His strong hands made quick work of the tension, starting at her shoulders and neck and gradually moving to her lower back.

"Serenity?"

It took her a moment to realize that his hands had stopped moving. She "mmm'd" a response, then propped herself on her elbow to look at him when he remained silent. He was staring at his hands in his lap and looked up suddenly when she placed her hand over his. Ren was caught off guard by the intensity of his gaze but he turned and got up instantly when the door was slid open by Kagome, who gave one look between her son and Ren, then broke the tension in the air by chattering on about how glad she was that Ren was finally awake. She gave Sota one pat on his arm as he left the room, trying to express her understanding through just that one gesture. He gave a lopsided smile as he slid the door closed as he left.

* * *

Kagome had gathered all of her available family at one of the large cooking pits. It was one that had a metal pole that they used for some of the heaviest catches. Ren, Rin, and Kasumi had each wrapped their family's portrait around the pole in the right, middle, and left, tying it with a small ribbon to hold it in place. The entire group was silent as Rin picked up the torch and thrust it into the middle of the firewood, and then handed it to Ren, who lit the right side and then let Kasumi light the left side. The flames grew higher and higher, until each picture was ignited. Everyone stayed until the last of the paper had turned to ash.

* * *

Ren headed out to the cherry blossom tree. Sesshomaru would be coming back soon and she had already missed a few days worth of practice. She really wanted to prove that she was capable of the standard that he expected from her. She had brought two practice swords with her, one heavy and the other light. She started with the heavier one, running through her movements until she had trouble lifting it up and then switched to the lighter sword to continue. She closed her eyes, focusing on her environment and the feel of the movement. Some of the positions she would hold for longer, trying to memorize the feel before continuing to the next pose. Several times she repeated a movement until she was satisfied that she had done it correctly. She continued on this way until she swung her sword down and hit something hard and unyielding.

* * *

Sesshomaru caught the sounds of movement from the cherry tree clearing that he had left Ren in to practice days ago. He moved silently through the trees until he came to the last trees before the clearing. There she was, silhouetted in the moonlight, practicing sword positions. He watched her for a while, even as she switched swords. She had just run through the entire sequence, when he stepped stealthily forward, drawing his own sword and blocking her downward swing.

"I see you have been practicing. You have greatly improved."

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm a little surprised that no one has had any suggestions so far as to something that they want added. I would like to thank you for your continued support, however, in the form of favorites, follows, and reviews. I was dreading writing this chapter. I needed Ren to explain and accept what happened to her family so that she could move on. I'm tired of her passing out, so I promise – no more fainting from suppressed memories. I have updated the website with some character bios, if anyone is interested. Most of them also have pictures of what I think the characters look like. We are getting closer to discovering the villains… mwhaha! I think that we have hit about the quarter point in the story, although I could probably just continue writing it endlessly. I will say that Ren is one of those people that others have a hard time not liking, the ones that just seem to attract people to them by their kindness. I hope that explains why everyone seems to have just accepted her so readily.**


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